


Blood of the Wild

by AbithaLynDrakonclaw



Series: link is a werewolf [2]
Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Blood Loss, Canon? Ha! We don’t believe in canon here, Hurt/Comfort, Link cries a lot sorry, Link has a pack, Link throws up in chapter 2 but that’s probs the only time, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Protective Prince Sidon, Rhoam is concerned, Smol Sidon, actually yes we do but only when it's relevant, i misspoke link actually has two packs, link can't read, link is afraid of lightning and cuccos, sassy crossdressing werewolf link because why not
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-05
Updated: 2020-06-18
Packaged: 2020-06-25 13:38:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 34,771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19746847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AbithaLynDrakonclaw/pseuds/AbithaLynDrakonclaw
Summary: Zelda tilts her head, “Do you have magic too?”Link blinks at her, “What kind?”“Momma’s magic,” Zelda answers, a few strands of golden hair falling into her face, “The yellow light that keeps monsters away.”Link shakes his head.“I don’t have magic like that,” He reaches out with his triforce hand, brushing hair out of her face and a few petals off her shoulder, “But I can turn into a wolf, does that count?”(rewrite of A Desperate Call and a Desperate Wolf)





	1. 100 years ago...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey friends! I'm back with a rewrite!  
> I'm gonna try something different this time and hopefully it works out.  
> *YOU DO NOT HAVE TO READ DESPERATE WOLF TO UNDERSTAND THIS FIC*  
> this one and wolf aren't connected in any way, they're just in the same series so my dash can be organized a bit better and so people can find this one easier.  
> (No, I'm not continuing Desperate Wolf)  
> I hope you enjoy!

Mipha stands tall beside her father's throne, ready to greet the visitors with a gentle smile painted on her face. The morning air is soft, pleasant- smells a lot like rain and a little bit like flowers. The never ending rush of waterfalls flows between cracks in the floor, and a flurry of early morning chatter rises up from the square below. It's far too quiet for her to make any sense of the words, but the tone is bright as the Domain comes to life.

Uneven footsteps gently splash their way up the steps, and soon Muzu comes into view. He cracks a tiny smile and nods to her, then to her Father, finding his place at her Father's right hand.

The King clears his throat, and she lifts her gaze to meet his eyes.

"Remember Mipha," the King reminds her, "Some of the Hylians visiting today are... a bit different from other Hylians."

"I remember, Father."

"They have... a special magic," He continues, tapping his fingers on the arm of his throne, "Not like yours, theirs is... well, quite different."

"They can shapeshift," She smiles at him, "Under the light of the moon."

Her father returns her smile with one of his own, "That is correct. I'm glad you remember."

"I'm not sure the Hylians in question remember," Muzu speaks up from the other end of the throne room, and both look over as he continues, "They were due to arrive hours ago."

"Has it really been so long?" the King sighs, falling back against his throne, "I hope they haven't lost their way.”

Mipha opens her mouth to respond, but a cry interrupts her. The three of them look up to see Sidon running into the room.

"Mipha!" The little one shouts, stumbling over himself in his haste, "There are weird people here! With really pointy ears!"

Mipha breathes a laugh as Sidon dives behind her legs to hide. She can hear footsteps on the stairs, and the bright tones of unfamiliar voices, led by one of the guards and coming ever closer.

"They're Hylians," Using one hand, she pets the prince clinging to her and explains, "They've come for a short visit, they'll be gone soon."

Sidon looks up, and Mipha watches anxiety dance in his brilliant yellow eyes.

"You may continue hiding there, if you wish," she whispers, continuing her petting as the first Hylian steps into the throne room, "I won't leave you."

Sidon's eyes dart to the Hylian before dropping to the floor, and he shifts further behind her, hiding himself from the visitors.

She startles when she looks up, meeting the shocking blue- almost white- eyes of a silver she-wolf. Time stops for a moment between them-

-then the wolf blinks and shakes out her fur, breaking eye contact to look up at the king, and Mipha remembers to breathe.

Beside the silver one, there is another she-wolf, with speckles of white all across her black pelt, like the night sky has been captured in her fur. She regards Mipha with calm hazel eyes before they turn to the King.

Mipha's gaze shifts to the other Hylians. There are ten of them in all, eight Hylians along with the two wolves. Three are adults, and the rest are children.

At the front of the group is a man speaking to her father, with broad shoulders and a sturdy build. His brown eyes are warm yet serious, and his hands are well worn like his boots. Beside him is a woman, graceful and ready to pounce, (much like a large cat), with eyes the color of wet forest leaves. The girl beside her is a striking image of the woman, with the same dark skin and eyes, along with matching black braids down their backs. There is a boy at her side as well, light skinned like the man, with mossy green eyes and near-white hair.

At the back of the pack is another man- she almost didn't notice him there, with his light frame and nervous hazel eyes that keep darting about. His face is covered in freckles, and the way he keeps adjusting his glasses suggests that he's never been too far out of a Hylian village. He's brimming with nervous energy, much like little Sidon behind her.

Her father says her name, and she realizes she was staring at their guests. She can feel a blush on her cheeks as her father introduces Sidon.

"-my children," He finishes proudly, and Mipha brightens when the Hylians turn to her.

"How do you do," She bends at the waist in a short bow. When she straightens, Sidon pokes his head out from behind her and says nothing.

They all bow back, answering her softly, when one child slips away from the group.

"Link-" The man with the glasses moves to stop him, but the child is too fast, darting across the floor to stare at Sidon with big blue eyes.

"Hi!" The child says brightly, and Mipha sees a splash of freckles across his nose, the color of his hair matching that of the man who moved to grab him. His green tunic is ripped, and there's a sword strapped to his back, just like the adults in the group.

Sidon shifts around to Mipha's other side, but the boy follows in three steps.

His smile is missing a tooth and his tone is bright when he asks, "Wanna be friends?"

Sidon shakes his head against her leg, and the boy protests with a pout.

Mipha covers her laugh with one hand, then looks up when King Dorephan says her name.

"Will you take the children to play in the square?" He gestures to the group, "I imagine this meeting will be difficult with them here."

"Of course, Father."

"Connie will help you," The brown-eyed man says, nodding down to the wolves.

The black wolf steps away from the group and looks up at Mipha with calm hazel eyes.

Those eyes are not on her for long and quickly shift to the Hylian child at her feet, who is leaning into Sidon's personal space, and with one growl, the child freezes and straightens.

He hangs his head and backs away from Sidon, arms folded behind his back.

"Sorry, Mama."

Then the black wolf turns, making a strange noise that calls the other children to attention. The silver wolf, the freckled boy, a black-haired boy and a boy with hazel eyes all follow her, while the first two stay behind.

“Would you like to come too?" Mipha murmurs to Sidon as the others head down the stairs and her father starts talking to the first man, "I'm sure these children are very nice, you might have fun playing with them."

The little Prince looks up, watching the freckled one from before. Blue eyes meet yellow, and the missing-tooth grin is back, full of hope and pure joy.

Mipha watches the anxiety melt from his eyes, and Sidon nods, then looks at her and nods faster.

”Let’s go,” She reaches down to take his hand, smiling when he grasps hers with his own gentle strength and leads him down the steps to the square.

As soon as they make it to the bottom of the steps, the little Hylian is back, grasping Sidon’s free hand between tiny fingers.

”Play with me!” He beams, his two handed grip on her brother’s hand tightening, “Please?”

”Uh-“ Sidon’s eyes dart between Mipha and the boy, wide, nervous, and eventually resting on Mipha.

She smiles and nods, letting go of his hand. “Have fun.”

“Come on!” The child whisks him away.

Mipha settles on the steps, watching the little group of Hylians happily welcome her little brother into their circle of schemes. A blond child with wild hazel eyes pumps his fist, introducing himself with a shout.

”I'M TROUBLE!"

Sidon isn’t sure how to respond, but the freckled one is quick to explain.

Another child steps up, his blue eyes darker than the first. His hair is black, and messy like the other two. She doesn't catch his name, but he's friendly and smiling, and hovering very close to Trouble.

Mipha smiles as Sidon introduces himself, trying his best to match the enthusiasm of the others. The silver wolf nudges his leg, her tail wagging.

The first child beams, smacks Trouble’s arm and runs off, splashing all the way.

“TAG! You’re it!"

Then they scatter, leaving Sidon and the silver wolf behind in the center of the square. He looks a little lost until she starts pushing at his legs. He looks at her, confused, so she runs out to one of the ramps, then turns back to bark to him, tail wagging excitedly.

Sidon fiddles with his hands and glances at Mipha, who flashes him a thumbs-up. He beams at her, takes a deep breath, smiles, then runs after the wolf.

The Princess flinches when something nudges her side, and when she turns to look, the black wolf is there, nudging her arm with her nose.

"Oh, hello," Mipha says to her, offering one hand for the wolf to sniff, "You are beautiful."

The wolf leans forward to press her nose to Mipha's fingers before she settles on the step, her hazel eyes darting between the kids. Her tail flicks with every slight move of her head, and Mipha follows her gaze between all of them. How does she keep track of them all? They're fast and they're everywhere, moving between all the buildings and sculptures and archways and other Zora.

Eventually, one stops moving. The blue-eyed child is up on a pillar, his missing-tooth grin flashing wider when Trouble bounds away. He squeals and runs from the black-haired boy, who tags Sidon in passing and leaves him blinking on the ramp in surprise.

"Is your name Connie?" Mipha asks her companion, watching the silver wolf nudge Sidon back into the game. Her heart swells with pride when he manages to tag the freckled one and get away without being tagged back.

The wolf nods.

"Are any of these children yours?"

Their eyes meet again, and the wolf nods, flicking her tail. She looks back to the Domain, and Mipha follows her gaze to one child.

"The freckled one with the missing tooth?"

Connie nods again, and Mipha sees her tail wag from the corner of her eye.

Mipha watches the boy, a small smile finding its way to her lips.

"He is adorable," She tells her when their eyes meet again. Connie sits a little taller, and Mipha can tell the wolf is smiling.

They sit in silence for a while after that, watching the children play. Mipha holds back her laughter, only letting small giggles out because all of them are getting in the way of everything!

"Watch it!" An elder Zora shouts at Trouble, and Mipha has to cover her mouth with her hand to keep a snort from escaping.

Then she notices more Zora children playing than before. Who's inviting them? Sidon can barely talk to Father, surely it's not the little prince-

Then she sees him, the first little boy, inviting the little green Zora, Bazz, to join in the game.

Mipha leans over a bit to Connie, "He's rather friendly, I think the entire Domain will know his name by the time you all leave."

Connie wags her tail in delight, and Mipha can tell she's smiling again.

Mipha snaps to attention when Sidon cries out, and immediately she's on her feet, hurrying to her little brother's side.

"What happened, love?" She asks, kneeling next to him, "What hurts?"

The silver wolf joins her, bowing her head to look down at Sidon, who hisses in pain when he bends his leg.

"I got hurt," Sidon mutters, eyes welling with tears.

The other kids are at his side in a moment, the black haired one and Trouble are both out of breath, panting as they lean onto each other. Zoran children whisper behind their hands as Mipha gently brushes her hand over his knee, apologizing softly when he flinches away from her touch.

She cups his cheek in her hand and brushes tears away with his thumb, and then comes the first child, kneeling at Sidon's side.

"Ah!" He looks down at Sidon's knee, then into the prince's eyes, "You weren't supposed to get hurt! I'm so sorry!"

Sidon sniffles and looks away. "It's okay."

"I can heal him," Mipha assures the little boy, "Would you like to see?"

The boy tilts his head, "You can heal him?"

Mipha nods and activates her magic, the little bit of blue light surrounding the bruise on Sidon's knee. Moments later, his scales are moving, the bruise is melting away, and his knee is a healthy red again.

The little boy is looking on with wide eyes, and she barely catches the word when he breathes, "Woah."

Mipha smiles, only now noticing the little scars littering his arms and face.

"Would you like me to heal you as well?" She asks, lifting her hand. The blue magic fades away. He looks down at his scars, debating. After a moment he lifts his arms to her and nods.

"Alright," Mipha leans down and kisses the spot where Sidon's bruise was, giving him a little hug before turning to the boy, "But only if you tell me your name."

The little boy flashes her his missing-tooth grin and says with a voice brimming with pride, "I'm Link!"

Mipha lets out a little laugh and takes his arm in her hand, "Nice to meet you Link."

She activates her magic.

"My name is Mipha.”

*****

"Link!" Roland shouts down the hall, stepping over some of Trouble's toys and fixing the front of his royal guard uniform, "Link, where are you?"

Tulip walks by with a basket on her hip, her hair loose and spilling over her back like a black waterfall, "Oh, Link? I think he's in the living room."

"Ah, thank you," Roland slides against the wall to get past her and she smiles at him, reaching up with one hand to fix his collar.

"Have you seen Mingyu anywhere?" She asks, hand returning to her side to help shift the basket higher on her hip.

"With Shane in their room," Roland points back down the hallway, his other hand pulling at the front of his tunic, "Fighting with Jolastu about who gets to hold Sonji, like they have been for the past hour."

Tulip sighs, letting out a bit of a laugh, "Alright, I'll go break it up."

She meets his eyes, "You better get your son, you're running a bit late. You'll have to run to the castle at this rate."

"I know," He answers, rubbing the back of his neck with a gloved hand, "You sure you can hold down the fort until we get back? Sure Trouble is with Reggi, but Myra is a wolf and your twins are always arguing-"

"I can handle it," She laughs, "I was a parent before you and Connie had Link, remember?"

He winces, adjusting his glasses with one hand, "Yeah I remember, but-"

"Roland," She interrupts. He meets her eyes. "Go!"

"Ah, right," He turns and darts down the hallway, face reddening when Tulip's bright laugh follows him.

"Link?" He calls as he enters the living room.

"Link isn't here right now," a little voice answers from the corner, "He's in Cloak Town."

Roland's gaze shifts to the far corner of the room, past the falling-apart couch.

"Does Link possibly want to come _out_ of Cloak Town?" Roland makes his way over, stepping over the mess of toys in the middle of the room, "We're kind of running late."

He eventually gives up trying to get to him on the floor and climbs onto the couch, making his way on his knees to the arm and looking over at the little lump of cloak that is his son.

The highest part of the cloak is moving, back and forth, and it takes him a moment to realize it's Link, shaking his head.

Roland softens, relaxing against the arm of the couch. "What's wrong, bud?"

Link's voice is nervous, and Roland has to strain his ears to hear his little, "I don't wanna go."

"Sorry bud," He answers, "The King summoned us, and, well, you can't say no to the King."

The little cloak ball curls in a bit more, trembling.

Roland reaches down, brushing the top of the fabric, quickly finding an opening.

"I'm gonna take this off you so I can see you better," Roland tells him, "Is that okay?"

The little lump nods, and Roland pulls away the cloak to reveal Link, with tears in his eyes and baby Aryll cradled in his arms.

"Mind if I join you two down there?"

Link looks up, meeting his eyes. After a moment, he nods, shifting a bit to make more room.

Roland climbs over the arm of the couch and settles on the floor next to him, reaching out to pull them both into his arms. Link lets him, and once the seven-year-old is cradled against him, he kisses his forehead and lets him lay his head on his shoulder.

"Why don't you wanna go, bud?" He asks, rocking back and forth.

Link shrugs.

"Hm..." Roland squeezes him a bit, "Well that's a problem, then I don't know how to help."

Link hides his face and mutters something into Roland's chest.

"What was that, bud?" He pokes Link's side, "I couldn't hear you."

Link uncovers half his face, keeping the other half pressed close to Roland, "Don' wannim to see."

"See what?"

"The mark."

Roland tilts his head. "You mean the Triforce mark?"

Link nods, hiding his face again.

"Why not?"

Link lifts his gaze, looking straight up into his eyes.

"They're gonna make me train all day," Link answers, and his voice begins to tremble, "Th-they're gonna make me t-train, a-and I'm n-never gonna s-see y-you or M-Mommy or A-Aryll ever again!"

His tears spill over then, trailing down his cheeks even though he's trying so desperately to keep them in.

"Oh, hey hey hey, it's okay," Roland says quickly, panicking a bit. He leans in a bit more so he can meet Link's eyes, "That won't happen."

Link sniffles, "P-promise?"

Roland reaches up to wipe Link's tears away. "I promise, Link. Nobody is going to take you away to train for the rest of your life. You'll still be here with me and Mommy."

"A-Aryll too?"

Roland smiles, "Absolutely! Aryll will be here too, bud. I promise."

Link sniffles.

"Okay."

Roland squeezes him a bit.

"There's my good boy."

Link half-smiles at him, and Roland ruffles his hair.

"Let's go put Aryll down in her crib and get you some shoes, bud," Roland helps the boy to his feet. "Maybe on the way home I can get you a little treat for being so brave."

*****

Zelda peeks into the throne room her newest creation hanging from her hands. A flower crown, weaved together with flowers of red and blue and white. There are three yellow flowers in the front, in a triangle like the triforce on her hand.

She made it with Mommy, for Papa. But Papa is in a meeting.

Surely he won’t mind if she pops in for a few minutes to give him a crown? Mommy said he wouldn’t mind, so maybe it’s okay.

Slowly, she pushes the door open a little bit more, freezing in her tracks when she sees the people Daddy is meeting with- a man with round glasses on his nose and nervous hazel eyes, and a little boy with wild golden-brown hair and a splash of freckles on his nose.

“Ah, hello there, little one.”

She peeks in further, meeting Papa’s gaze. He opens a hand to her, a sparkle in his eyes and a smile under the hair on his face, “Come in, don’t be shy, Princess.”

She hurries in, the door swinging shut behind her.

“Zelda,” Papa murmurs to her once she’s held safe in his lap, “There are some people here I’d like you to meet.”

He gestures to the nervous man, “This is Roland Wood.”

Zelda nods deeply, unable to bow. The man’s eyes change from nervous to happy and he bows back to her.

“And this,” Papa leans over her, gesturing to the little boy, “Is his son, Link.”

Link smiles and waves at her. She raises a hand and waves back.

“Why don’t you show him your mark?” The King says, gently pulling the flower crown from her fingers, “He has one too.”

Zelda bows her head and her father replaces her tiara, making sure there are no gaps in the flowers as he sets it on her head.

He adjusts it until he’s satisfied and then gestures for Link to come to the throne.

“See here?” The King traces the outline of the little triangles on her right hand, “This is the mark of the Triforce.”

The boy looks nervous.

“You have it too, don’t you Link?”

The boy swallows and moves to pull off the glove on his left hand, pulling it all the way off to reveal his own triforce mark, the three triangles the only spots not dotted with freckles.

Papa smiles, then turns to the man, saying something about Link joining the training or something, but Zelda’s eyes remain on their matching marks.

She reaches out to touch his mark, and he lets her trace her fingers over it.

“You have it too,” She says gently.

“Mmhmm,” Link hums, “I didn’t think I’d ever have something in common with a princess.”

Zelda tilts her head, “Do you have magic too?”

Link blinks at her, “What kind?”

“Momma’s magic,” Zelda answers, a few strands of golden hair falling into her face, “The yellow light that keeps monsters away.”

Link shakes his head.

“I don’t have magic like that,” He reaches out with his triforce hand, brushing hair out of her face and a few petals off her shoulder, “But I can turn into a wolf, does that count?”

Zelda can feel her face scrunching up as she opens her mouth, but before she can respond, the man is calling to Link.

“We gotta head home now, bud,” He calls. “Say bye.”

Link steps down and bows, uttering a goodbye before turning and darting over to his father, grasping his hand in an almost desperate way, and together they exit the throne room, the doors clicking shut behind them.

As soon as they’re gone, Papa looks down at her, pride in his eyes.

“That crown is very pretty,” he tells her, leaning down to kiss her on the head.

“Daddy,” She says once he’s sitting back up.

“Yes, Zelda?”

She looks up at him with big eyes, “That boy said he can turn into a wolf.”

*****

Link holds his Mother's hand, watching Zelda with a steady gaze.

She's about to cry, Link can tell. His heart swells with the urge to go and comfort her, the young Princess- though he's only met her once- and he thinks that would be too disrespectful.

The Queen has passed on to a new life, the King is saying. To honor her, floating lanterns will be released into the sky- just like the ones released to celebrate Zelda's birth.

Link tears his gaze away from the Princess to glance at his father, who is nervously holding the lantern in his hands. Aryll yawns in his Mother's arms. Papa gives him a slight smile, and Mom squeezes his hand.

He looks up again, watching the Princess with sad eyes when she releases the first lantern.

Her Father puts his arm around her shoulders as they watch it float up and up into the moonlit sky.

Soon, more lanterns join the first, and it's their turn.

Papa kneels at his side, "D'you wanna do it bud?"

Link takes it in both hands as Papa lights it.

He lifts it to the sky as reverently as he can, releasing it as a tear slips down his face.

She just...

She looks so _sad,_ and he' can't do anything about it.

*****

“Mingyu!!” Aryll shouts for what feels like the millionth time, her bright green eyes searching the crowd.

Castle Town is celebrating the successful unearthing of the Divine Beasts with a festival, and their pack has set up a booth somewhere in the square, selling meat skewers and flower crowns, a weird combination but great for his family.

Link squeezes Aryll’s hand, and Sonji’s hand with the other.

“Miiiiiiiiiiingyuuuuuuu!!” Sonji shouts.

Link looks around as the seven-year-olds yell, eyes snapping to a waving soup-ladle.

“Over here!” Mingyu calls to them, her long black braids flying back and forth across her back. She points her soup-ladle at the crowd, “Jol’s on your left!”

Link looks left, and sure enough, there he is, long, messy black hair and all.

Aryll reaches out and he takes her hand, blue eyes shining with thanks.

“Trouble’s on your right!” Jolastu calls.

Link looks right, spotting the familiar head of dirty blond hair.

“Hi!” Wild hazel eyes meet his blue and Trouble takes Sonji’s hand.

“Follow Trouble, single file,” Link tells the rest of the line, nodding up at his packmate.

Myra appears, her silver fur shining as she trots along at Trouble’s side.

Mingyu waves her ladle again, and Shane stands at her side, his light skin and blond hair the near-opposite of his twin sister’s. The six of them enter the booth between the wooden poles holding up the tarp-blanket things they're using for shade. It's comfortable inside, with the road under their feet and the wooden counters where they've set out their goods to sell to the people. One side is a makeshift kitchen with all sorts of meat stored away, and the other is full of flowers.

“Finally!” Mingyu grins at them, green eyes shining as the six of them enter the little booth, “Me an’ _pretty boy_ here thought y’all’d gotten lost in the crowd.”

Shane frowns, his mossy green eyes narrowing at his twin.

“Mingyu…” He sighs, “No one says y’all’d.”

“Well, I do!” She answers cheerfully, pulling the strap of her apron back up onto her shoulder, sticking out her tongue at Shane when he heaves out another sigh.

She turns to the little ones still clinging to Link, “Alright girlies, ready to help out? We gotta get ready to sell the best meat skewers in all of Castle Town!”

“Yeah!” The little ones answer excitedly, hurrying over. Myra follows them, tail wagging.

“Alright,” Link moves to the other side of the booth, away from Mingyu’s makeshift kitchen and into their mini flower garden. He claps his hands together, “Flower crown time.”

He settles easily into the little booth, finding plenty of flowers for his crowns as Jolastu handles drawing in a crowd outside and Trouble helps each customer find exactly the kind of crown they're looking for. 

“FLOWER CROWNS!” Trouble shouts, “Roses! Carnations! Silent Princesses!”

“MEAT SKEWERS!” little Sonji challenges, “Get ‘em while they’re hot!”

“A REAL GARDEN!”

“THE FRESHEST OF FRESH MEAT!”

Link snorts at their antics, shaking his head as he tugs at one of the flowers in his lap. He's got a knack for this now, choosing just the right flowers for each crown in turn. Trouble gives single flowers out for one or two rupees, but the full crowns are about ten to fifteen rupees.

"You doin' okay back there, Link?" Trouble calls after they've sold about twenty.

Link holds his wrist in one hand, rolling his hand around to get the knots out. Trouble turns to face him, leaning back on his elbows on the counter.

"Yep," Link answers, smiling at his pack-brother, "Just a little sore, I might have to switch with Jolastu soon."

"Or me," Trouble offers with a shrug, "I know you hate crowds."

Link smiles a bit when Trouble turns back around. “Thanks.”

Trouble beams down at the little girl hiding behind her mother’s legs on the other side of the booth.

"Hi there!" He says cheerfully, being careful to not scare her off, "What can I do for you, kiddo?"

Her cheeks turn a little pink when she smiles shyly back at him.

"She wants a flower crown," The girl's mother says, brushing a hand over the girl's head.

"Well you're in luck!” Trouble gestures to some of the pre-made crowns hanging around him, "Would you like one of these?"

The girl shakes her head.

"Well then!" Trouble claps his hands together, “What colors, kiddo?”

"Pink!" She says brightly, and Trouble nods.

"Good choice!"

Link is already gathering flowers when he turns back around, and Trouble reaches back to take a few of them.

"Are these shades alright, sweetheart?" Trouble asks, showing them to her.

The girl nods excitedly and Trouble invites her and her mother into the booth. Link listens to her excited chattering as he works on her crown, weaving purple and pink flowers together before placing it gently on her head.

Her mother smiles as the girl squeals in delight, thanking Link and Trouble and twirling around the booth.

"How much?"

Trouble turns around, “For you? Five rupees."

She drops a blue rupee into his palm and he offers another dazzling grin.

"Thank you kindly," He leads them out of the booth, "Come back anytime!"

They smile and wave as they leave, and Link offers a wave before starting on yet another crown, this one made primarily of silent princesses, with a few dark blue and gold flowers mixed in.

"Princess Zelda," Trouble's voice is a bit louder this time, and Link freezes, "To what do we owe this pleasure?"

Link lifts his gaze, meeting her bright green eyes for only a moment before they’re turned back to Trouble.

She smiles warmly at his pack-brother, but it doesn't reach her eyes.

"Your booth has piqued my interest," She says to him, "Do you have any crowns made of Silent Princesses?"

Trouble looks back to Link. He nods quickly, lifting the one in his lap.

"My friend Link here is in the process of making one," Trouble gestures into the booth, "Would you like to join us back here for a bit, your Highness?"

She steps inside with a short bow. "Thank you."

Link tries not to stare as she makes her way inside on the uneven ground, lifting some flowers off a crate so she can sit and then putting them down in her lap.

"Hello," She says to him, smiling softly as she pulls the flowers into a pile on her lap.

He jerks his head down in a quick nod and mutters a greeting.

"I remember you," She tells him, gathering a small bouquet in one hand, "It was a while ago... six years maybe?"

Link nods, weaving another flower into the crown.

"How old are you now?" She asks, rearranging the flowers in her hand, "I'm twelve."

He swallows, "N-nearly fourteen."

He laces a few more flowers into the crown, then stands, stepping closer to her with it held out in front of him.

"May I?"

She nods, letting him place the crown on her head.

Once he knows how many to add, he takes it off and sits, weaving in three more silent princesses (among other flowers) before finishing and offering it to her.

She puts the bouquet down on her lap and takes the crown in both hands. She sets it on her head and lets Link adjust it for her.

Once it's on and not in danger of falling off, she stands, digging around in her pocket.

"Here," She offers something to him, and he reaches out to accept it, his heart beat skyrocketing when he realizes it's a purple rupee she's dropped into his palm.

"Thank you," Zelda smiles, her green eyes shining.

She offers a bow and turns to leave the booth, thanking Trouble quietly when he offers a hand to guide her out.

"Have a lovely day, your Highness," Trouble kisses her hand and she curtsies to him.

"To you as well," She answers, "Thank you."

And with that, she turns to leave, hair flowing in the breeze, the Silent Princesses a lovely contrast to the pink in her cheeks.

Link tears his gaze away and moves to start another crown, but Trouble’s hands stop him.

He looks up to find his pack brother beaming down at him.

“My turn!”

*****

They’ve all heard the whispers- dialed up senses make it easy to eavesdrop- and they can do nothing about it.

Jolastu had seen the looks on their faces, that day in the square when Link was selling flower crowns. His smile was dazzling, and though his hands were shaking, he broke through his fear of crowds to sell his beautiful creations to the people- who immediately turned and whispered behind their hands- _the hero of hyrule should not be focusing on such childish things-_ it broke his heart, seeing Link deflate more and more after every interaction- the way he curled into himself when he returned to his box- the way his tears were silent and pained-

Trouble was there the first time Link had been called a disappointment. The life in his eyes had drained in mere seconds. He looked so empty- a shell, the exact opposite of everything he ever said he wanted to be. It was hard to watch him get up every day- hard to watch him go through training- hard to watch him when the whispers got to him, the way he closed into himself with tears shining in his empty blue eyes-

Shane spars with him, letting his swift movements and the clattering of the swords be an anchor for his pack-brother. He listens to Link's anxieties- the scary ones that keep him up at night. He runs a hand up and down his back, offering small words of comfort between sessions. Offers water bottles and makes him drink. Dries his tears as he trembles in his arms-

Mingyu worries way to much yet not even close to enough about his eating habits. Too tired to eat? Nothing sounds good? I’ll just eat this _one tiny apple_ before I go? What kind of ridiculous-

Myra spends her very short time as a human at his side, letting him braid flowers into her hair and talking in her gentlest voice, assuring him that all will be well, that they’re with him until the very end-

Sonji tries to cheer him up with the things he loves. She sings for him. Dances. Plays the ocarina. When she’s a wolf, she curls up in his lap and lets him brush her fur, staying at his side and growling at anyone who comes too close. She’s kind of making everything worse- and she knows that- but what else can she do? Sit there and watch him suffer in silence? What kind of terrible sister-

Aryll gives him hugs. Lots and lots of hugs. She holds him together when he falls to pieces in her arms. She braids his hair when he’s too tired to stand, sings lullabys for him when he’s falling asleep, dries his tears when he cries about everything and nothing-

They become his voice when he stops talking. They stand at his side, doing whatever they can to hold him together.

They are family after all.

*****

Daruk barrels down the hill, hitting rocks and dips as he rolls, faster and faster, trying to get there in time.

All he wanted was a bit of lunch, but that plan was stopped short when he heard the sound of steel hitting wood, the shouts of a Hylian and the battle cries of a Bokoblin.

He blasts into a rock and yells, slamming both fists down on the nearest Bokoblin. It disappears in a puff of purple stuff, and Daruk realizes it was already dead.

He rises to his feet, scratching the back of his head. "Huh."

There's the sound of a blade being sheathed, and Daruk looks up, meeting the bright blue eyes of a little Hylian through a big, red, fireproof helmet.

"You okay?" the Hylian asks, tilting his head, "That was some fall."

Daruk stares in awe at the little tiny guy, flinching to the side when he pulls out a bow and shoots something over Daruk's shoulder.

A Bokoblin falls to the ground with a cry, and the little guy is quick to finish him off with one swipe of his sword.

This one turns into purple stuff as well, and as the Hylian slides his sword into the sheath on his back, he turns to Daruk with nervous eyes.

"Woo," Daruk whistles, "That was impressive."

The little guy snorts out a laugh and turns away, re-adjusting the helmet back onto his head, muttering something under his breath.

"What was that? Couldn’t hear ya.”

The little guy shoots him a glance and waves him off a moment later. "Nothing."

They stand in silence for a minute. Then Daruk grins. The Mighty Daruk, saved by a tiny Hylian! How about that.

He claps a giant hand on the little guy's back, and the Hylian nearly falls over.

"I like you!" Daruk announces, leaning down, "What's yer name, Little Guy?"

The Hylian looks a little startled, but doesn't hesitate to answer, "Link."

"Link?" Daruk repeats, and he nods.

Daruk's smile only grows when he says, "Well Link, care to join me for some lunch? I've got a rock roast with your name on it!"

"Oh, uh," Link blinks a bit. "Sure?"

"Let's go!" Daruk scoops him up, laughing when he yelps.

"Just a shoulder back ride, bud!" Daruk puts him on his shoulders and Link moves to hold on, "Those little legs of yours don't look good for climbin' mountains."

Link laughs, adjusting the helmet again, "Well, thank you."

They're quiet for a while as Daruk climbs. He can feel it any time Link shifts on his back to get a better hold, and nearly misses it when the little guy starts talking again.

"So, Mr Goron, what's a rock roast?" He asks, and Daruk realizes he never told him his name.

"What's a rock roast?!" Daruk protests, pausing so he can look up at the little guy, "It's only the best thing you'll ever eat!"

"Oh?" Link blinks down at him, "Sorry sir, I'll have to try it then."

Daruk grins at him, "Of course you'll try it! I make the best in town."

Link smiles as Daruk starts climbing again, "I believe it, Mr Goron sir."

"Call me Daruk," He says absently, looking for handholds. "So how old are ya? Nine? Ten?"

"Fifteen," Link answers.

"Fifteen," Daruk repeats. He pulls himself up with one hand and reaches with his other, "What's a fifteen-year-old Hylian doin' up here on Death Mountain?"

Link is quiet, and Daruk almost asks again before he hears a quiet, "I'm running away."

Daruk pauses again and looks at him, "Oh, really?"

Link nods, not meeting his eyes. “The woods freaked me out, and I don’t really want the sword yet.”

He turns back to the wall and starts climbing again, “Woods?”

“The Lost Woods,” Link explains, “They’re these really creepy woods you have to go through before you can get to the Korok forest.”

Daruk nods as Link continues, “If you go the wrong way the children of the forest laugh their really creepy laughs and take you back to where you started.”

“Ah, that sounds scary,” Daruk climbs higher still, “And uh, what’s this about a Sword?”

"The sword that seals the darkness,” Link answers, “Or well, the "Master Sword". I’m apparently “the chosen one” or whatever and they want me to get it but I’m just not ready, and my senses are seriously all thrown out of wack, I hate that forest.”

Daruk hums, and Link stops talking.

They reach the food cave, and Daruk hauls himself up with a grunt, waiting until they're a good distance inside the cave to help Link off his shoulders.

"So tell me, Link," Daruk plops himself down next to his cooking pot, "What sorta things do ya eat if you've never heard o’ a rock roast?"

Link brightens. "Lots of stuff! Fish, meat, cheese, bread, rice balls, plants, birds, small squirrels... really anything, Mr Goron sir."

Daruk nods, "Got a favorite?"

Link beams and rattles on about a few of his favorite dishes, a bunch of crazy stuff Daruk wouldn't dream of eating.

"And! There's this really good soup that Mom makes," Link tells him, "With lots of hearty radishes and milk and it's suuuuper good, you should try it Mr Goron sir."

Daruk laughs, “O’ course! But only after you-”

He turns and hauls over a big rock roast, plopping it down in front of the little guy.

“-try this.”

Link’s eyes go wide.

“Excited?” Daruk grins, “I’ll cutcha off a chunk, wait right there.”

The roast is about the size of Daruk’s head, so he hacks off a chunk for the little guy, one barely the size of Link’s fist, being sure to sprinkle some rock salt on it before handing it over.

They talk as Daruk pops chunks of rocks into his mouth, his belly aching when he laughs at Link’s stories, and his smile ever growing as Link laughs at his as well.

The sky outside shifts from afternoon to the beginnings of evening, the sun sinking lower and lower in the sky. Even still, they talk, Daruk telling stories of the Gorons and Link talking about his family.

There’s a flash of something under his helmet, and Daruk is sure he’s not imagining the way Link’s eyes begin to glow.

“Uh, bud?” Daruk knocks softly on the helmet, interrupting Link’s story, “Your eyes are glowin’ a bit there.”

“Oh!” Link’s hand rushes up to cover his eyes. “I-I have to go.”

“Already?” Daruk reaches out to steady the boy when he rushes to his feet, “You can spend the night here if ya want, I don’t mind.”

“N-no it’s-” Link lets out a half-laugh, “Sorry, I have to go, thank you for the rock roast, Mr Goron sir!”

“Hold on!” Daruk’s hand shoots out to grab his arm. Link stares at him, his glowing blue-yellow eyes wide.

“I don’t know what’s going on right now, or why ya have to leave right this minute,” Daruk tells him, “But I wantcha to know tha’ I think yer great.”

Link relaxes a bit as he smiles a bit.

“You can take on anything,” Daruk tells him, “If ya need time, tell ‘em! Make sure yer ready, ‘cause I think ya can definitely do anything ya put yer mind to, Little Guy.”

Link’s smile turns bright and genuine.

“Thank you, Mr Goron sir!” His eyes glow brighter, “I’ll be sure to tell them. I promise.”

“Call me Daruk,” He lets go of his arm, offering a grin and a wave, “And come back to visit anytime!

*****

Link is officially a Champion.

The ceremony happened sometime this morning, and after that, a luncheon with all of the Champions and authority figures of Hyrule.

If Link was being perfectly honest, it all felt a little bit like those playdates he’d had as a kid- the ones where the parents would talk and talk, and the kids either had to be silent or play in the other room.

Only this time, his pack wasn’t allowed to be there. His parents weren’t high enough authorities, so the only one even allowed to be in the same room was Reggi and that was only because he was the unit captain and a trusted bodyguard of the Gerudo Chief when she would visit the castle.

After the luncheon, the Champions gathered for a picture as their respective leaders had gone back to the castle to pack.

Trouble and Jolastu had been there, on the sidelines, guarding the new champions, and Link got the chance to make faces at them before heading off to take a picture with his newly made, (and rather small) pack, and honor Mipha’s request.

After the picture the Champions went to pack their own things, with the promise of a dinner picnic to get to know one another better.

Now to the present; Link is alone in his temporary castle room, listening to the rain splash and fall through the room’s open window. The room he’s in is just down the hall of the other champions, though Trouble’s done a number on it already- they’ve had to pay for several new pillows to replace the ones he threw around, and he almost broke the room’s one window. Luckily, Jolastu dragged him out before he could cause any further damage.

It’s a nice room, rather high-up, with a good view of the training grounds and Hyrule beyond that- though the rain makes it hard to see anything past the moat.

The pitter-patter of droplets against the ledge of the open window relaxes his nerves, and he lets his eyes slide shut. The dark room and crying sky reflect the feelings in his aching lungs, his tight chest. Rain drips down his face, catching in his eyelashes and soaking his clothes, but he can’t really bring himself to care. He takes in the smell of the rain, and lets it soothe his mind and senses from the hustle and bustle of the dining room this morning.

A knock at his door jerks him awake. The rain has slowed, but little drops continue to splash and drip on the windowsill and the puddles below. He peels his eyes open, and shifts his head a bit so he can meet the golden eyes of the red zora at the door.

Link’s face lights up, and he holds out a hand.

“Hi there, little fish,” he calls gently to the Zora prince, “Long time no see, huh?”

Sidon looks nervous, so Link pulls himself upright on the windowsill, holding his hands out to him.

“Don’t be shy,” Link says to him, “Come on over.”

The little prince sucks on one of his fingers, glancing around the room.

“Oh. I’m sorry it’s so dark,” Link finally notices just how dark it is, “I can light a candle for you if you want.”

Sidon shakes his head, jumping when there are footsteps down the hall. He hurries in, darting over to Link as the door shuts with a loud click behind him.

“Come on up,” Link pulls Sidon up and helps him settle on the windowsill, close enough for their knees to touch.

The prince is quiet. He doesn’t meet Link’s gaze, instead looking down at the raindrops as they splash against his hands.

“I haven’t seen you in a while,” Link says to him, leaning against the wall again, “How are things down in Zora’s Domain?”

Sidon wrings his hands together. Link doesn’t press him to speak as rain continues to fall.

Finally, little golden eyes meet his, shiny and full of tears.

“Why don’t you come to the Domain anymore?” Sidon asks, his little voice cracking a bit.

Link breathes out quietly, and sits back for a moment.

“I have to do things up here, bud,” He answers quietly, after a pause. “I visit as much as I can. I’m sorry I can’t visit very often.”

Sidon sniffles, “Y-you still like us, r-right?”

Link puts a hand on his head,and smiles. “Of course I do, little fish.”

“Th-the Domain too?”

“Mmhmm.”

The tears begin to fall then, dripping down like the rain outside.

“E-even M-Muzu?”

Link breathes a laugh, rubbing Sidon’s head a bit.

“Yes, Sidon,” Link whispers with a smile, “Even Muzu.”

The little prince relaxes a bit, taking a shuddering breath.

“That’s good,” Sidon moves then, climbing up into Link’s lap.

The werewolf lets him, moving his head fin out of the way and holding him close.

They sit together in silence, watching the rain until Sidon’s breathing evens out, and he falls asleep in Link’s arms. Link holds him, rocking back and forth to keep him asleep, as the rain eventually begins to lighten.

The sky is still gray when there’s another knock at his door. It opens a moment later, and there stands a worried Mipha, who immediately relaxes when she spots Link holding her little brother.

“I knew he’d come here,” She smiles, “Mind if I come in?”

Link smiles back, “Please.”

She enters the room, closing the door behind her. Her gentle footsteps come close, and she pulls herself up next to him on the windowsill.

“He missed you a lot,” Mipha tells him, running a hand down Sidon’s head fin. “Every other day he asks when he can see Link again.”

Link hugs the little prince close, “I miss him too. All the time.”

“All of us miss you,” Mipha tells him, “You and your pack have brought such light to the Domain- we love you and miss you and wish you’d visit more often.”

“I’d do it in a heartbeat if I could,” Link tells her, “But now I’m always going to be with Zelda and she might not want to visit as often as I’d like.”

They fall into silence, and Mipha puts a hand on his knee.

“The rain is letting up,” Mipha says eventually, “We should probably start our way to dinner.”

“Oh yeah.” Link sighs.Mipha nods and hops off the windowsill, cradling Sidon when Link passes him down.

Link joins her on the floor with a small smile, and fastens his cloak before taking Sidon back.

He follows the zora princess across the room and into the hallway, trying to keep his steps soft and even to not wake the little prince.

They make their way to Dorephan and Sidon’s room, where the King happily puts his son to bed and offers Link some zoran candies he stowed away for the little prince.

“Thank you,” Link slips them into his cloak pockets and Dorephan pats him gently on the head.

“I’ve missed you, my boy,” Dorephan tells him with a sad smile on his face.

“I’ve missed you too, Your Majesty,” Link answers with his own sad smile.

“LINK!” Daruk shouts down the hall, “MIPHA! URBOSA!”

The Gerudo Chief pokes her head into the room, “We have to go save Zelda, she’s alone with Revali.”

Mipha winces, “We’ll be right down.”

Urbosa flashes a thumbs up and disappears from the doorway.

Dorephan helps Sidon settle again- he almost woke from the shouting- and smiles at Link.

“Come visit us soon,” Dorephan passes him one last candy, “The children miss you dearly.”

Link smiles back, “I’ll try. Thank you, Your Majesty.”

“I’ll come back tonight, Father,” Mipha tells the King, “I love you.”

“I love you too, Princess,” Dorephan answers, “I’ll see you tonight.”

With that, Link and Mipha slip back into the hallway, and hand-in-hand make their way down the steps, through several hallways, past guards, servants, maids, and eventually turn to the hallway that will eventually lead them outside.

Urbosa is waiting for them, leaning against the doorway.

“Why hello there,” She smiles and straightens, stretching with her hands above her head.

Once she relaxes, she turns and beckons them to follow. “Let’s go save the Princess from Daruk and Revali, shall we?”

They walk together across the courtyard, Link’s hand still held in Mipha’s.

“What’s the moon phase tonight?” Mipha asks, gently squeezing his hand.

Link’s answer is immediate, even though barely any stars peek out between the clouds covering the sky. “Waxing half moon.”

“Is anyone in your pack transforming tonight?”

Urbosa slows her steps to walk beside them.

“How do werewolves even work?” the gerudo asks.

Link hums, thinking for a moment before he explains, “Werewolves were created by Ganon hundreds of years ago to be another part of his Monster Army. We have cycles, and about every month or so we transform from humans into wolves or vise-versa.”

“On the full moon,” Urbosa suggests, “All at the same time?”

Link shakes his head, “We change no matter what, it doesn’t matter if we’re in the moonlight.”

Urbosa tilts her head. Mipha stumbles a bit on a loose flagstone, grabbing Link’s arm for support. He helps her upright, and pauses for a moment. 

“The Moonlight keeps us sane, keeps us from being monsters," his voice drops, and he looks down at the stone under his feet.. "We are things made by Ganon, and he wanted us to hunt other creatures, feed on guts and gore and all that. Hylia made it so the moon can save us. She let us keep our humanity.”

Urbosa nods slowly, “I understand… do the moon phases have anything to do with the cycles?”

Link nods, “Hylia made it so the moon does two things.”

He lifts one finger, “One is save us from turning into monsters.”

Urbosa laughs, “I got that much.”

“And two,” Link shoots Mipha a glance and holds up a second finger, “Is tell us how much werewolf blood we’ve got in us.”

Urbosa nods, “And you’ve lost me.”

“Take full moons, for example,” Link tries, “Those are when pure werewolves change- “pure” meaning everyone in their family all the way back is--or was--a werewolf..”

“Oh!” Urbosa nods again, “That makes more sense.”

“I transform during waxing half moons, and so does my little sister,” Link continues, “My mom transforms during full moons, my dad doesn’t transform at all ‘cause he’s not a werewolf.”

“You’re going to transform tonight,” Urbosa says and Link nods.

“Jolastu, Aryll and Myra are going to as well.”

“Into humans or into wolves?” Mipha asks, re-entering the conversation.

“Me, Aryll and Jolastu into wolves,” Link answers, “And Myra into a human.”

“When exactly does the transformation happen?” Urbosa asks as Zelda comes into view.

“Around midnight,” Link answers, leading Mipha around a tree by gently pulling her hand towards him.

“And how will you know when it’s midnight?” Urbosa asks, stepping over a patch of flowers.

“I might not know, but you definitely will know,” Link answers slowly, “Because my eyes will start glowing.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback would very much be appreciated, if you've got a minute to leave a comment!  
> Thanks for reading! <3


	2. A Pack and Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You look so nervous," Mingyu teases lightly, brushing a few little rings off her knife and returning to the cutting board, "I told you already, potato soup is supposed to look like mush."  
> Connie huffs a bit and goes in to stir the onions in, "I know, I'm just upset I can't do this myself."  
> Mingyu tilts her head, "Do what? Make dinner?"  
> Connie huffs again, blowing strands of blond hair away from her eyes, "Yes."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOOOOOOO CHAPTER 2 HERE WE GO BOIS
> 
> (there's a LOT going on this chapter, so if you spot anything strange then jot down a comment and i'll be sure to fix any errors! Love you guys!)
> 
> THANKS FOR STICKING AROUND! I HOPE YOU ENJOOOOOY

They're in the middle of dinner, (at midnight, a great decision), when a familiar twist in his gut makes him nearly choke on his sandwich. He leaps to his feet, aware that the champions are watching him, (all concerned except Mipha, who looks familiar but worried, and Zelda, who for some reason almost looks jealous), and starts messing with the clasp on his cloak and barely getting it off before the wolf inside him begins to climb out and the moon douses him in light. His insides twist up again and the strong, animal scent of wolf hits his nose- and before he can do anything, his fingers change to paws and his nose sprouts into a muzzle.

The transformation is familiar, and it feels as though water is crashing over him. His senses turn fuzzy, then stronger, and new scents flood his wolf nose. Two legs turn to four- skin sprouts fur.

Honestly transforming should probably hurt a lot more than it actually does- and soon Rinku finds himself wrapped in the fabric of his cloak, mingled with the smell of his human half and a million zoran candies in the familiar courtyard.

Transforming is the easy part.

Now come the reactions.

He hears a chuckle, and then a pair of gentle hands pull the cloak away from his face, revealing a wonderful moonlit night sky and a million stars- with the silhouettes of the castle and his fellow champions around him.

“There you are, Doggo,” he notices Urbosa’s eyes have an amused glint to them when her face comes into view, “Now you can see.”

He wags his tail in thanks and stands, shaking out his fur before stepping out of the pile and kicking more of the navy blue fabric off his back paws. Urbosa breathes another laugh and reaches around him to gather his cloak, folding it up and putting it off to the side.

He wishes he could talk, but he settles for wagging his tail and grinning at her the best he can instead of saying thank you.

She smiles back, and seems to understand, “You’re welcome, Link.”

Rinku looks up at the other Champions and isn’t surprised at all about what he sees from the princesses. Mipha smiles at him- she’s met his wolf form many times before- and Zelda’s face is rather neutral, eyes full of nothing but annoyance.

He turns his blue-eyed stare towards Revali and Daruk-

-and shrinks back when both flinch at him.

“Y-you can turn into a d-dog?” Daruk stammers, knees shaking.

Rinku nods, taking a rather confused step towards his Goron friend.

“N-nope!” Daruk’s hand shoots out, effectively stopping Rinku in his tracks, “P-please don’t come any closer!”

Rinku shrinks back, ears flat against his head.

Mipha hurries to Daruk’s side, muttering assurances to him. Urbosa kneels at Rinku’s side, ruffling the dark grayish-black fur on his back while turning her worried eyes up to look at Revali.

“You alright there, Vure?” She asks, tilting her head.

Revali snaps back to himself, face twisting from terror to his usual haughty expression.

He huffs and folds his wings across his chest, “Perfectly fine, Urbosa, why do you ask?”

Rinku looks down, ashamed at the slight tremor in the Rito’s voice.

Urbosa opens her mouth to respond but the princess interrupts before she can say anything-

“There’s literally zero reason to be afraid of him,” Zelda speaks up from behind them, and all attention turns to her.

She folds her arms in a huff, “He’s just Link,” She growls, “In wolf form.”

With that, she marches off across the grass and back into the castle.

Revali shoots him one last dirty look, “Good to know,” before turning, flapping his wings, and soaring back to his room in one of the towers.

Daruk seems to have calmed down a bit, but he still flinches a little when Rinku looks up at him.

"This is very new," He says slowly, "I uh- I need some time to process."

With that, he turns into a ball and rolls away, leaving Rinku alone with Mipha and Urbosa.

"Alright," Urbosa shifts a bit, using her free hand to lower herself gracefully onto the ground, "You seem very calm about this, Mipha, mind telling me a few things?"

Mipha smiles and settles on Rinku's other side, burying her hand in his fur and scratching where he likes.

"He likes to go by ‘Rinku’ in this form," Mipha tells her, "But he's alright with it if you'd like to call him something else."

Urbosa nods thoughtfully, "So you're alright with me calling you 'Doggo'?"

He nods up at her, then plops down onto the floor and rests his head on his front paws.

Mipha begins to explain, talking in her lovely voice about finding out about the whole werewolf thing and telling Urbosa stories about his pack and answering any questions she happens to have.

"How exactly does the pack work?" Urbosa asks, "Exactly like a wolf pack or a little different?"

"A little different," Mipha says, scratching between his ears, "There's an alpha couple, beta twins, and a cute little omega named Sonji."

Urbosa turns over onto her stomach next to him, adjusting so she can swing her feet in the air and rest her chin on her palm, "And what does all of that mean?"

"The Alphas are the head of the pack," Mipha explains, waving her free hand around, "Reginald is the alpha male and Terri is the alpha female of Link's pack. They keep the order and manage stuff, but Link's parents do that a bit too."

Rinku tilts his head and nods against his paws, and Mipha takes her other hand out of his fur.

"That's where wolf pack and hylian family mix," Mipha explains, pressing her index fingers together, "They have all these titles and a pecking order and such, but they're still a family, and they treat each other like how you'd treat your sister or one of your daughters."

"I see," Urbosa's feet sway in the air, "So it's a little bit like living with an extended family? Like with cousins?"

"Oh, yes," Mipha nods, "He usually calls the alpha female 'Auntie Tulip' and the alpha male 'Uncle Reggi', and so do his pack-siblings."

"What's the difference between a pack-sibling and a sibling?" Urbosa asks, fingers working through the knots in Rinku's fur.

"A sibling comes from your same parent," Mipha explains, "Link only has one blood-related sibling, a little green-eyed girl named Aryll, and the others come from other werewolf families. They came together in a pack, so they're known as pack-siblings."

"I kind of pulled that together already, just wanted to make sure I was right," Urbosa chuckles, "Thank you."

"You're welcome!" Mipha beams, "I'm happy to answer any other questions, if you have them."

Urbosa lays her head down on her arm, matching Rinku's posture easily.

"Do other werewolves have eyes as pretty as yours?" She asks him, promptly bursting into bright laughter when he covers his eyes with his paws out of embarrassment.

She lifts her head to address Mipha again, "Who exactly are Reggi and Tulip?"

"Reginald is a very, very large and rather intimidating Hylian man," Mipha answers after a moment, "He was the first to speak to my father when their pack came for a visit in the Domain- when Link was about four- but despite his appearance, he loves his wife and the twins."

"The twins are his?"

"Yes," Mipha nods quickly, "His and Tulip's. Tulip is his wife- a dark skinned hylian woman with the darkest green eyes I've ever seen in my life."

"And the twins?"

"Spitting images of their parents," A voice interrupts, making the three look up, right at Trouble's crooked grin above them, "Completely different races and builds despite being twins."

Rinku jumps up and wags his tail excitedly when the wolf form of Jolastu steps out from behind Trouble.

"Oh hello," Mipha smiles up at him, "Urbosa, this is Trouble. Trouble, Urbosa."

"There's a story behind that name of yours, I'm guessing?" Urbosa asks, getting to her feet and brushing off her skirt.

He lets out a bark of a laugh, "Of course there is, your Ladyship, but I’m afraid I’ll have to bless you with the story another time.”

She laughs brightly, stepping closer to ruffle his hair, “I like you, little voe.”

Trouble grins and ducks out of her touch, looking down at Rinku with his brilliant fanged smile.

“I’m afraid we have to steal Rinku for the evening,” Trouble bows to the both of them, “It’s his last day in the castle, and we would very much like to spend it with him and the rest of our family.”

Mipha smiles, Urbosa looks amused.

“Of course,” Mipha answers, bowing to him.

“I’m sure we’ll see enough of him, now that he’s a Champion,” Urbosa tilts her head, “Though be sure he gets some sleep. He’ll be leaving with the princess at sunrise.”

*****

Their kitchen is rather large and comfortable, with a table big enough for most of their pack to sit at and plenty of floorspace around the back door for wolves to come in and out as they please. Bowls for each pack member get taken away and set out depending on who's shifted, and those always get filled with water and set out by the wall.

On the wall opposite the door is where they cook everything, and right now Connie and Mingyu are working together at the counter. Connie stirs the mush that’s supposed to be soup and sprinkles in more cheese. Mingyu cuts up ingredients next to her with an amused expression.

Connie moves away when Mingyu gently nudges her aside, and watches she dumps in some green onions.

"You look so nervous," Mingyu teases lightly, brushing a few little rings off her knife and returning to the cutting board, "I told you already, potato soup is supposed to look like mush."

Connie huffs a bit and goes in to stir the onions in, "I know, I'm just upset I can't do this myself."

Mingyu tilts her head, "Do what? Make dinner?"

Connie huffs again, blowing strands of blond hair away from her eyes, "Yes."

Mingyu smiles and pats her shoulder, "There there, Auntie. You'll learn."

Before Connie can respond, a burst of giggles comes from upstairs, and two little blondies come rushing down the stairs.

Aryll is on Connie in a second, jumping up to give her a hug, and Sonji does the same to Mingyu, who shouts “knife!” in a panicked voice.

"Oh!" Connie beams, hugging her daughter right back and kissing her temple, "Is it time, babygirl?"

Aryll releases her, green eyes flashing yellow for a second, "Yep!"

Sonji hops down and stands next to Aryll, beaming.

If Sonji's hair was a little less dirty blond and more bright blond like Aryll's, and Aryll's eyes were more gray than green, the two of them could be twins, with their similar builds and heights.

"Alright, head on out," Connie pets Sonji's hair and boops Aryll's nose, "And be safe, come right back in when you've shifted."

The girls beam, Aryll's skirts bouncing and the braid on Sonji's back swaying as they scurry to the backdoor, "We will!"

Connie smiles after them, and soon she and Mingyu finish making the soup.

Eventually, the backdoor opens, and Sonji leads a little gray-and-black wolf and a very human Myra inside.

"Oh! Myra! Hello!" Mingyu says brightly, "Come in, sweetheart, how did shifting go?"

Myra smiles, her mouth full of shark like teeth still startling as ever, "I'm lovely, thank you."

Aryll and Sonji sit together on the floor of the kitchen, as Sonji works a brush through Aryll's fur, and Myra approaches the girls at the stove, her white dress fluttering, and her silvery-white hair trailing on the floor behind her.

"Can I help?" She asks, smiling, and Connie simply backs away from the stove, passing off the ladle and letting her take over.

Mingyu kisses her sister's cheek, "We're making Potato Soup and we're almost done. You alright with stirring things?"

"Mmhmm," Myra nods. She turns her icy blue gaze to Connie, "Auntie, will you put my hair up?"

Connie nods, "Of course, sweetheart."

And just like that, Myra is a human again, and will remain human until the next moon phase. She changes with the moon, an odd cycle, one Connie's never seen until now. Jolastu is Myra's brother, and his cycle is as stable as you get, changing every half moon on the dot.

She leaves them in the kitchen and goes to find some hairpins upstairs when the front door bursts open.

 _“Weeeeee’reeeee_ HOME~!” Trouble beams at her, "Hi Connie!"

Jolastu wags his tail at Trouble's feet and Rinku flicks his ears, dodging the side of the door frame as they all make their way inside.

"Hello, kidlets!" She answers brightly, "Food's in the kitchen, and so are your sisters."

"Sounds great! Thank you!" Trouble beams, "C'mon, Jol."

Connie watches them go, then smiles down at Rinku, who pushes at her legs with his head.

"Hey there, baby," She leans down to ruffle his fur, "What's wrong?"

He droops a bit, tail dragging and ears flat.

She scratches between his ears, "Wanna sit upstairs for a while?”

She follows Rinku upstairs, past Shane coming down, all the way into the boys’ room, where the floor is spotless and all the beds are made. An incredibly common sight- the boys are perfectionists in their own ways, except Trouble.

“Alright,” She settles on Link’s bed and he hops up beside her, ears flat and head drooping.

She moves back until her back is against the wall, and she pats her lap.

“Come,” She holds her arms out to him, “Tell me your troubles.”

Then he moves, eyes darting between her eyes and her lap, and he slowly settles in her lap and lets her pet him.

“So you changed in front of the Champions for the first time,” She guesses, noting the way Rinku tenses in her lap, “Mipha probably didn’t even bat an eye, did she? Urbosa- bless her heart- was probably the best about it.”

Rinku nods against her legs.

“Urbosa terrifies me,” Connei smiles, “She could cut me in half with her sword and I’d apologize to _her_ for the inconvenience!

Rinku flicks his ears, looking amused.

“She could walk straight up to Calamity Ganon and kick him with her heels, and there he’d go. Dead. Just like that.”

Rinku’s tail wags a bit and she smiles, scratching between his ears.

“Daruk is afraid of dogs, isn’t he? And Revali is a bird- I’m sure the two of them were scared.”

Rinku nods, settling against her sadly. Connie hums.

“That’s too bad. You and Daruk are such great friends,” She pets him a little longer, “I’m sure it’ll all get better eventually, sweetheart.” She murmurs, “You’ll see.”

They sit together a while longer, just soaking in each other’s presence and warmth, when Trouble’s voice shouts up the stairs, “HEEEEYYYY! COME DOWN FOR SOOOUUUUUUP~!”

Rinku looks up at her, and she smiles, leaning down to kiss his nose.

“If the soup is gross, blame Mingyu,” Connie tells him, “If it’s delicious, it was all me.”

He wags his tail at her and stands, licking her cheek before jumping off the bed and making his way downstairs.

Connie slides off the bed and turns to fix the covers, brushing loose wolf hair off and fluffing up pillows before heading out and next door to the girls’ room.

It’s a mess, messier than the boys’ room, surprisingly, and it takes a while of maneuvering around the mess on the floor before she finds some hairpins and a few ties.

After that, she’s off, heading back downstairs and nearly being hit by the door again when Reggi bursts inside, dripping from rain.

“Sorry,” He says, then he stomps away inside, up the stairs.

Tulip comes in after him, wringing out her hair, “Not a cloud in the sky and then suddenly, rain!”

She laughs brightly and kisses Connie’s cheek in greeting, “Hello, darling, sorry about Reginald.”

“No worries,” Connie answers, smiling, “He looked upset.”

Tulip clicks her tongue, and answers fondly, “Grouchy old man.”

Connie laughs and Tulip moves past her, “I’ll come back down for dinner!” She calls, climbing the stairs.

Then Roland comes in last, face flushed and glasses foggy. He shuts the door and shakes himself off. He glances up, eyes darting back and forth from his hands to her a few times before he settles on her eyes. Then he _smiles,_ holding out his arms to her, and even though he’s wet, she hugs him.

“Hi Connie,” He squeezes her, “Sorry I’m wet, the rain got crazy while we were walking home.”

“That’s just fine,” Connie answers, backing out of the hug with a smile, “A little rain never hurt anyone.”

He tucks some of her hair behind her ear and his face grows worried, “How’s Link? Is he okay? I was gonna swing by just to check up on him and make sure he had support after he shifted but then I had to stay at my post late and _then_ I couldn’t find them, an-“

”He’s fine,” Connie interrupts gently, “It went mostly well with the Champions, and now he’s eating with his siblings.”

Roland nods, looking up at the hall to the kitchen, his eyes battling with different emotions-

“I should-”

She stops him with one hand, “Go change first, love. You can sit with him when you’re not dripping rainwater all over the floor.”

He scratches the back of his neck, “Right.”

He takes off his glasses and holds them out to her, “Could you…?”

She takes them and cleans the lenses on her apron. Once they’re clean, she holds them in both hands, leans forward to lightly kiss his nose, then gently sets his glasses back into place.

He blushes a bit and smiles- absolutely adorable to Connie- and he squeezes her hand before heading upstairs after the alphas.

“Close the door!” Shane’s voice snaps from the kitchen, and Connie heads towards the kitchen.

“What? Open it wider?” Trouble’s voice answers, and Connie can hear the rain splashing against the floor of the kitchen.

“Trevor-“ Shane growls as Connie walks in. Shane is stanced up and visibly upset, his scent laced with all kinds of hostility.

“Oh, brother-mine,” Trouble shakes his head, leaning on the open door and flicking his ears, “Will you ever learn to dance in the rain?”

*****

Revali watches silently from his perch on one of the rock ledges above Rito Village as the Princess makes her way up the steps, her shadow following her wherever she goes.

She’s muttering to herself- he can almost hear it, even up here- but the wolf himself is silent, as silent as he’s ever been.

Revali tilts his head as the wind changes, ruffling his feathers.

The wolf must sense his gaze, for he looks up, his bright blue eyes meeting Revali’s green.

They watch each other- the little werewolf breaking his gaze only when he needs to step.

Zelda turns to the wolf then, snapping at him before disappearing into the chief’s hut.

The little wolf looks up at Revali again, an unreadable expression on his face before he turns around, making his way to the main platform.

Revali checks to make sure his bow is secure on his back before gathering his wings, taking off and moving into position to dive below the platform.

“Let’s give him a show, shall we?” Revali mutters to himself, tilting his wings.

He dives, down down down, until he’s close enough to the ground to create an updraft. He then rides the updraft to the platform, spinning high into the air before flaring his wings to give Link a proper show.

He lands with a smirk decorating his beak.

“Impressive, I know,” he says to the wolf, who looks particularly unimpressed, “Very few can achieve a mastery of the sky.”

The wolf watches on calmly, and Revali swears he saw him flick his ears.

“Yet I have made an art of creating an updraft that allows me to soar,” He flicks his wings open, and feels that he can’t hold still as he explains, “It’s considered to be quite the masterpiece of aerial techniques, even among the Rito.”

The wolf’s eyes change. An emotion, though Revali isn’t sure which one.

He turns to him, opening his wings and leaning in a bit, “With proper utilization of my superior skills, I see no reason why we couldn’t easily dispense with Ganon.”

Link looks like he wants to say something at that.

“Now then,” Revali hops off the railing, landing with a click on the platform. The wolf doesn’t flinch, watching him with a steady gaze as he makes his way over, “My ability to explore the firmament is certainly of note-”

He touches Link then, trying to get him to act on the emotion in his eyes, “But let’s not- pardon me for being so blunt- let’s not forget that I am the most skilled archer of all the Rito.”

The knight’s head moves. It’s a tiny movement. A nod.

D-does Link agree?

“Yet despite these truths,” Revali continues, “It seems I have been tapped to merely assist you.”

Revali lets out a bit of a whine at that, and is rewarded with a wince from the wolf, his ears flattening a bit.

“All because you happen to wield a certain darkness-sealing sword,” Revali arches his neck to look around at his back, “Where is it now? Has it deemed you unworthy?”

Link’s eyes change again. Another emotion. His eyes shine along with it- perhaps the beginnings of tears? He’s feeling something strong, but he’s apparently good at keeping his head.

”I mean it’s just…” he stops watching Link at this, “Asinine.”

Finally! Finally Link’s face changes, his brilliant blue eyes narrowing. He wants to argue- his eyes say so.

“Unless,” Revali teaks the challenge, tilting his head, “You think you can prove me wrong?”

Link’s gaze is steady.

“Maaaaaybe we should just settle this one on one,” Revali suggests, “But where?”

Link watches him silently, and slowly the emotion begins to leave. He’s calming down. Revali pretends to think for a moment.

“Oh! I know!” Revali throws a wing back at Medoh, “How about up there?!”

Link looks up just as the emotion disappears, and Revali knows he’s lost him.

“Oh, you must pardon me,” Revali waves his wings in fake sincerity before turning around with a bit too much pride in his wing flapping, “I forgot you have no way of making it to that Divine Beast on your own!”

He takes off, laughing as he looks back.

“Good luck sealing the darkness!”

With that, and an extra burst of air, Revali leaves Link behind on the platform, flapping his wings a bit harder to get to Medoh.

He lands lightly on his talons.

Medoh greets him in her own way, with a quiet whir.

”Hello, Medoh,” Revali says quietly, “I’m glad to see you.”

She doesn’t answer.

“Is my journal still safe?” Revali asks. He doesn’t expect an answer, ever, but it’s good to talk to her rather than just himself.

Maybe if he talks to her, she’ll actually trust him with her controls.

He finds his journal exactly where he left it, pulling out a pen and opening it to a new page.

“I saw the little knight today,” Revali settles on his makeshift nest of blankets, “I showed him my new whirlwind move but he didn’t even react!”

Medoh’s whirring fills the silence.

“I know right?” Revali hisses, clicking the pen, “How rude was that? I even had a chance of failing, and still! Nothing!”

He grumbles, moving to write.

“Thanks for your input, Medoh,” he tells the Beast, “This has been a very enlightening conversation.”

*****

She can hear his footsteps behind her as they walk. One step after another, the near-silent padding of his paws, and honestly it’s driving her crazy. How many days have passed since they left Rito Village? Too many days of insufferable silence, and the growls of something that's not exactly a wolf.

Once upon a time, Link was the most talkative person she’d ever met in her life- just like the rest of his insufferable pack of werewolves- but now asking him to speak is as fruitful as asking the spirits to activate her powers. She is always met with silence, and it makes her feel all the more alone.

His gaze on her back grows ever more uncomfortable. With a flick of her finger across the screen of her Sheikah slate, she switches from pictures to the map, charting their next course.

Zelda lets out a long breath.

“From here, we’ll make our way to Goron City,” she announces, no longer able to bear the silence of the wolf behind her, “Then we’ll need some adjustments on that Divine Beast so Daruk can manage it as easily as possible."

"He's figured out how to get it to move..." She takes a deep breath, "However, it's apparent that we still have much more to learn." 

She smiles a little bit at the thought. Research! She'll have to report her findings to Impa, Purah and Robbie of course, but for now she's happy to have a way to lose herself in the process of discovery.

"But to think," She flips from the map to her album, opening up to a picture of the drawing of Rudania one of the researchers had drawn for her, "that Divine Beast was actually built by people..."

She smiles, wide, "That means we should be able to understand how it works and how to use it to our advantage."

She zooms in on the picture, "These Divine Beasts, so much we don't know..."

"But if we want to turn back Calamity Ganon, they're our best hope,” She nods to herself.

A wet yawn comes from behind her, and her train of thought is immediately derailed.

Her steps slow, and she stops, and turns angrily halfway towards Link.

"I don't like this anymore than you do," She snaps, "The least you can do is act like you're interested in what I have to say."

He stands for a moment, and she turns away. She continues forward, still not looking, and not caring in the slightest if he chooses to leave her to find her way herself.

*****

Rinku can feel the pounding earth through his paws as he runs- faster, faster, _faster,_ trying to get to the princess in time.

He only stops once, to leap into a river, washing off all the soot and volcanic dust from the volcano. He hates visiting Goron City in wolf form. His paws always feel like they’re going to burn of any second when he’s up there, and his fur is better for cold weather than heat.

But, he drags himself out of the river and shakes out his fur. He’s got to find Zelda, and quickly.

He hones into his senses, and everything dims around him as Zelda’s scent comes to life. Her horse’s scent is there too- which explains how she left so quickly- and Rinku’s horse, Elroy, is-

_“Rinku!”_

Rinku snaps back into a world of color, now that he’s not focusing on Zelda’s scent, and there’s Elroy, standing under and apple tree.

Rinku perks up and makes his way over.

 _“Hello there,”_ Elroy greets with a nod, _“I was sure you’d head along this way eventually.”_

Rinku’s tail wags.

Elroy nods again, _“Well, let’s be off then, hm?”_

Rinku nods, slipping back into his senses and following Zelda’s scent yet again. After a while, he begins to run, and Elroy runs with him.

“-ust as I thought-”

Rinku stops, snapping back into color again and flicking his ears, trying to catch the sound of her voice.

“Hmm…” There she is again! “It appears that this structure was designed to be exclusively accessed by the sword’s chosen one.”

He perks up and angles his ears thataway. He slowly hones in on her scent again, and then off he goes, running after the sound of her voice- “But, designs can always be worked around, at least I hope. How do I get inside?”

He leaps up over some rocks and turns a corner, “I need to activate it somehow.”

Elroy cries as they make their entrance, stopping next to Zelda’s horse as Rinku’s world fades back into color. He stops several paces away from Zelda as she turns away from her work with an angry look. 

“I thought I made it _perfectly clear_ that I am _not_ in need of an escort,” she snaps, hands on her hips. “It seems I’m the only one with a mind of my own.”

Rinku whines in protest, but Zelda turns her sharp gaze back to him with one hand on her chest, _“I,_ the person in question, am _fine,_ regardless of the king’s orders.” Her arms swing down to her sides and she huffs, “Return to the castle, and tell that to my father please.”

He watches her go, looks up at the shrine, then turns around to follow her, his footsteps near silent against the ruins.

Then she sighs, and whirls around on him again.

“And stop following me!”

*****

Sand.

Sand, sand, sand, sand sand sand _sand._

Mountains and valleys and storms of nothing but _sand,_ day in and day out.

Every frigid night brings a storm, burying him in another pile of sand.

Every boiling day roasts him to his core, and a nice guard dumps freezing water on him every once in a while.

It's nice when it happens, then miserable when it only results in more sand being stuck to him in the midday heat.

He's half buried by sand in the shadow of the city when the guard asks one day, "Why are you still here? It's been three whole days and you're still sitting here."

He flicks his ears.

"Are you waiting for someone?" She asks, "I can go find them if you want me to."

He perks up at that and nods once.

"Alright," She says, "I'll be back."

Then she disappears into the city, and Rinku lays down again, watching sand blow across the sandy hills, and Lizalfos shooting their tongues out at each other.

He closes his eyes, flicking his ears as the hot desert wind blows over him. All he can smell is sand and burning rock, and then-

He opens his eyes when someone knocks a spear against the wall, and the guard is back, with an angry looking Zelda at her side.

"The 'no males inside the city' rule doesn't really extend to animals," the guard informs her, "If you need someone else to take care of him while you're inside I'm sure you can find someone who's willing."

Rinku stands and shakes out his fur.

Zelda frowns at him.

"I'm not gonna tell you how to take care of your wolf, Highness," The guard returns to her post, "But maybe don't leave him outside the city for three days with no food."

Zelda huffs, "Right, thank you."

Then she turns, "Come along, little wolf."

Rinku hurries after her only stopping to wag his tail at the guard and bark a thank you.

She reaches down to pat his head and winks with one pretty brown eye, "You're welcome."

He hurries after Zelda and into the city. It's a rush of warmth and new smells. Palm trees tower above a busy square, and water rushes all around the city.

There are booths set up against the walls. Merchants smile and exchange goods, rupees, stories, smiles. Bright laughs fill the square, and wonderful scents fill his nose as he pads along behind Zelda.

The Gerudo are startlingly tall and strikingly beautiful, dressed in light fabric in every color of the rainbow. Rinku stops in his tracks when two little girls run past, giggling as they chase each other across the square.

"Don't fall behind!" Zelda snaps, starting up the steps to the palace, and Rinku hurries after her, up the steps, past the guards at the door- (who are very suspicious of his approach but say nothing)- and into a grand throne room with a door on either side and an open wall behind the grand, empty throne.

Zelda takes a right and goes up the stairs, past another suspicious-at-Rinku guard and up to a bedroom, where Urbosa is draped gracefully on a large bed, with several books and papers set around her.

There are many bowls of fruit, some more empty than others, and a tray on the table at the end of the bed with a pitcher and two large cups of water.

Zelda climbs into the bed next to the chief and picks up a book with one hand and a pen with the other, ignoring Rinku's questioning whine.

Urbosa looks up at the noise and smiles at him.

"Rinku! How nice of you to join us," She beckons to a maid at the other end of the room, and at her approach says, "Get him a bowl of water and some pillows."

The maid nods and hurries off.

"Where's he been for the last few days?" She asks Zelda, raising one eyebrow.

Zelda's face reddens and her grip tightens on the pencil, gaze hardening on the book, "Sitting outside the city. I thought he'd get bored."

Urbosa hums, "I see."

She smiles warmly at Rinku, "Make yourself right at home, Doggo."

Then they return to their research, and he pads aimlessly around the room, sniffing things and looking around, up at unfamiliar symbols on the walls and nudging a little sand-seal doll under the bed.

He lifts his head at footsteps coming close, and the maid returns, holding a tray in both hands. Another maid follows her with a pile of pillows in her arms.

They move to a corner of the room, laying out a mat and setting up a pile of pillows on it, then setting down a bowl of water and a bowl of fruit.

He wags his tail in thanks as they leave again and he sniffs at the pillows, circles around several times, and then sits on the mat and nudges a few pillows around.

It's rather nice, sitting quietly and listening to the rustling of pages and the quiet voices of Zelda and Urbosa.

He lays down, settling on the pillows and practically melting into them. They're so fluffy.

His eyes slide shut and his breathing evens out. He really shouldn't be falling asleep, but he's been awake for too long and it's just so comforting-

He drifts into an easy sleep, startling when there's a hand on his head. His eyes snap open to meet Urbosa's and she snatches her hand back before he can bite it.

"Sorry to scare you, Doggo," She says pleasantly, carefully putting her hand back and brushing the sand out of his fur, "Zelda and I are heading out to Naboris. We're taking some guards with us, and I'll have some weapons nearby."

He nods and moves to stand, but she gently pushes him back down.

"Sorry, Pup," She tells him, "Zelda wants you to stay here. But she'll be very safe, I promise."

He relaxes into the pillows again, and she smiles.

"Have a nice nap, Doggo," She stands and brushes off her skirt, "We’ll be back to wake you in a few hours."

*****

Zelda’s lungs ache as she runs, chancing a glance back to find the Yiga are still chasing her. She nearly trips, stumbling as two men in masks appear in front of her. With a gasp, she falls back, surrounded by their blades.

One moves to strike her-

A howl pierces the air, and wolf Link leaps over her head, an audible snap coming from the Yiga’s neck when he bites it.

He leaps back as the Yiga crumbles to the ground.

His face twists into a snarl, eyes narrow with a challenge.

The two remaining Yiga brandish their sicles, but he doesn’t back down, lashing his tail and growling protectively.

One lunges, and he rockets up, snapping his neck with one snap of his jaw.

The second one moves, and Rinku snaps his teeth around his forearm, then leaps onto his back and twists his arm with a painful snap.

He disappears in a puff of smoke, and wolf Link lands on his paws, growling as the other two disappear as well.

He meets her eyes and lifts his head, flicking his ears and advancing on her.

She takes in a shuddering breath as he sniffs at her, soon deeming her unharmed and sitting at her side.

She takes a deep breath and very, very slowly reaches out with one hand, gently petting his muzzle and shifting to sit on her knees.

“Good boy,” She whispers, moving closer, “I-”

She takes a deep breath and pets him again.

“Thank you.”

*****

She’s still getting over the shock of almost dying today, but the innkeeper is patient when she stammers as she asks for a soft bed and hands over her rupees.

Link pads after her as they follow the Gerudo through the Bazaar’s inn and into their room.

The Gerudo stops in front of the door, holding a key in one hand and pointing at Link, “Werewolf or regular wolf?”

“Werewolf,” Zelda answers.

The Gerudo lifts an eyebrow, “ _Trained_ werewolf?”

“Yes.”

She seems satisfied with that answer, turning to unlock and open the door- _the sound of metal against metal makes her nervous, but it isn’t a weapon, so she can mostly relax-_ and she leads Zelda and Link inside.

“There’s your bed, come down to the front if you’d like another blanket,” The Gerudo gestures, then points to a door on the far wall, “There’s the bathroom, if there’s a problem, again, come to the front desk and we’ll help you out.”

“Thank you,” Zelda says gently, holding out her palm when the Gerudo offers her the room key.

“Don’t lose your key,” She drops it into Zelda’s palm and offers a farewell, “Sav’saaba, travelers.”

Then she moves to the door, and Zelda watches Link scramble out of her path the door shuts with a soft click behind her.

Zelda looks around the room, admiring the neat way everything is set out and how perfectly the bed is made. She makes her way over, setting her bag down on it, then turning to Link.

“I-I’m going to get ready for bed,” She tells him, “Will you be here?”

He looks up at her, confusion in his eyes, but nods.

She opens her mouth to respond, then shuts it again and nods in return, turning on her toes back to the bed and fishing through her bag for a moment, coming up with a nightgown and supplies to brush her teeth with.

She hurries into the bathroom, changing out of her travel clothes and into a light nightgown, much like her prayer dress but shorter and with long sleeves.

When she re-enters the bedroom, Link is laying at the foot of the bed, staring out the tiny window. He perks up at her approach, flicks his ears, and looks back to the window. His face is open, his posture relaxed. He’s the opposite of the wolf she’d seen earlier today- the one set to kill.

She moves across the floor, stepping carefully around him so he doesn’t have to move, and sitting on the bed. She reaches up to take out her hair clips, sets them aside, then brushes out her braids with her fingers.

“How often do you do that?” She asks suddenly, looking up at him when he flicks his ears, “Y-You looked s-so-”

He tilts his head at her, and that’s the only answer she gets before he looks back to the window.

Once her hair is loose, she stands, pulling the blankets aside and climbing into the bed. Once she’s settled she tries to relax, but the window feels too open, and she’s just- nervous-

“Link?” She calls gently.

He looks at her, eyes shining in the darkness.

“Will you…” She’s not sure how to make her words work, “I uhm-”

He watches her with a very open expression.

“I’m scared,” She murmurs, “Th-the Yiga they-”

She swallows the lump in her throat, “W-will you-?”

She isn’t sure how to word it, but he understands anyway, standing and nodding to her.

She watches him pad to the window, boosting up on his hind legs to look out. He must see nothing- he jumps down and heads over to the bed, hopping up and settling at her feet.

He turns a few times before settling, facing the window. He looks up at Zelda.

His face is pleasant.

She reaches out to pet him, to stroke his ruff or maybe flatten the fur on his neck, but she stops and draws her hand back to her chest, casting her eyes downward.

“Thank you,” She says quietly, then lays down, pulling the blankets over herself.

He makes a gentle noise in return, then yawns, and that in itself is all the assurance she needs.

*****

For the next few days, she watches him, reading his posture, movements, even slowing her pace to walk by his side instead of several paces in front of him.

He gives her strange looks at first, and she wonders how she never noticed how _expressive_ he is, from his body language to his tail movements, to the little flicks of his ears-

“Link?” she says one day while they’re eating under a tree, and he looks up from his meat skewer, “You go by another name in this form, don’t you?”

He nods.

“Urbosa said it, didn’t she?” Zelda asks. Another nod from the wolf, “It… it started with an “r” didn’t it?”

He nods again, and she thinks back to that day in Urbosa’s bedroom-

“Rinku,” She says, the word rolling easily off her tongue, and he perks up, a promising sign.

“Is… is that it?” She asks, “Rinku?He nods delighted, tail wagging.

“Rinku,” She says again, “I’ll remember to call you that.”

*****

“That cut doesn’t look too bad, actually,” She says, digging around in her bag for some kind of food, “You’re fine for now.”

She holds out a roll, and Rinku gently takes it between his teeth, careful to not bite her fingers.

“But you know,” She pulls out some wrapped meat as well and they sit together, “There’s a fine line between courage and recklessness!”

He hangs his head.

“As brave as you are, that does _not_ make you immortal,” She unwraps the meat and sets it next to him, letting him get to it in his own time.

Her gaze turns to the cliff covered in monsters.

“It seems-” She glances back at Rinku, who is giving her his full attention, “-not only is the frequency of these types of attacks on the rise but the scale of beasts we are facing is intensifying as well.”

He nods.

“I-I fear that-” She takes a deep breath, “I fear that this is an omen that portends the return of Calamity Ganon.”

She looks into his eyes, and he looks back with a steady, alert gaze.

A smile finds her face.

“If that’s the case,” She watches him swallow the roll, “I’m ready to expect the worst.”

He nods to her, moving to the meat and ripping a chunk off with his teeth.

She smiles, “We’ll need to make preparations as soon as possible.”

He swallows, nods, and moves to stand, but she stops him with one hand.

“Eat,” She murmurs at his confused look, “Your health is more important. We can go when you’re ready.”

He hesitates, then settles again, and soon finishes eating.

“How long does it take for your healing to work?” She asks.

He stands easily this time, walking in a circle and rolling over with no additional limps or flinching.

He returns to her side, and she very carefully places her hand on is ruff.

“So it’s immediate?” She asks, and he nods.

“Incredible,” She breathes, running her fingers through the fur, “I don’t suppose-”

He tilts his head, and she reddens.

“Is there a way to turn me into a werewolf?”

He blinks at her, and his eyes go cloudy. He looks away, thinking, then slowly shakes his head.

Zelda feels the familiar twinge of disappointment in her chest.

“I...see.”

She pulls her hands away.

He looks up at her, an apology laced through his beautiful blue eyes and she smiles.

She stands, brushing herself off, “Let’s be off.”

He stands and gently nuzzles her leg, and leads the way down the mountain.

*****

“There’s one!”

Rinku pounces on the flower and flicks his ears when the shuttering of the camera goes off. Zelda giggles at him, then looks up and points, “Oh! And another!”

He rolls over to that one as well, nuding it with his nose as his tongue lulls out and his paws hang in the air. Zelda captures a picture of this as well and he rolls to his feet, shaking to get petals and leaves out of his fur.

She giggles, then looks down at the pictures and takes another one, this time without Rinku, only the flowers.

“The flowers we have in Hyrule aren’t just beautiful…” she moves to another patch- this time of ones that are mostly white- “They’re also quite useful as ingredients for a variety of things!”

Rinku’s tail wags and he looks over her shoulder at the picture when she leans toward him.

Then a small gasp catches his ear, and Zelda moves to her hands and knees, crawling towards a small flower. He knows this one- from a memory he has, from long ago-

“This one here is called the silent princess,” she tells him gently, and he perks up, recognizing the name. He made a crown of these for her, all those years ago.

“It’s a rare, endangered species,” She continues quietly, padding closer and leaning over it, “Despite our efforts, we can’t get them to grow domestically yet,” She glances back to him, and he offers a little nod, “The princess can only thrive out here. In the wild.”

Her fingers gently trace one of the petals. He watches the gentle smile on her face fade as she brings her hand up, a fist resting over her heart.

“All that we can hope…” she murmurs, her eyes crinkling with her gentle smile, “Is that the species will be strong enough to prosper, on its own.”

Then she gasps again, and Rinku flicks his ears, snapping to attention.

“Is that what I think it is?!” She rushes forward on her knees, practically falling into a bed of white flowers, “Look at this!”

She turns on him and beams, crawling forward on her knees, “I don’t believe it, but I actually caught one!”

Rinku sits as she explains excitedly, “This delicacy is known to have very, _very_ potent effects under the proper circumstances.”

He nods and startles back when she thrusts a frog into his face, “Ta-da!”

He recovers as she goes on, somehow keeping a hold on it, “Research from the castle shows ingesting one of these can actually augment certain abilities.”

“We wouldn’t be in a controlled environment out here, but with your level of physical fitness…”

He’s not sure he likes where this is going-

“-you’d be a perfect candidate for the study!”

She’s moving forward, and he leans back.

“Go on!” She says excitedly, “Taste it!”

Rinku barks a no, and the frog jumps away.

Zelda watches it hop away, and Rinku snaps to his feet, watching it go.

The look at each other, then Rinku smiles, his tongue lolling out, and barks again, bounding after it and sending out a fresh wave of even more frogs, and off he goes, barking delightedly as Zelda laughs brightly after him.

*****

Mipha always waits by the gate to greet visitors, and Rinku perks up when he sees a tiny red zora hiding behind her legs.

“RINKU!” the little prince shouts excitedly, leaning away from his sister, still half hidden.

Rinku flicks his tail, looking up to Zelda for permission, and she smiles, gesturing with one hand to the prince.

Rinku wags his tail in delight, barking and running all the way to the prince, who steps out from behind Mipha.

He skids to a stop and nearly bowls the prince over, tail wagging.

Sidon giggles, reaching out to pet Rinku’s face.

“Hi!” He says brightly, and Rinku nuzzles his hand.

Zelda approaches and Mipha greets her fondly, and after a few moments of talking about Ruta, Mipha offers to help Zelda climb aboard, and the Princess happily takes her up on that offer.

Rinku stays behind with Sidon. He trusts Mipha with his life- she’ll protect the princess if it comes down to that.

Rinku follows Sidon all the way through the square, past the other children, down into the inner workings of the Zora palace, and all the way to the Royal Siblings’ shared room.

Rinku casts his gaze around the room as Sidon hurries inside. The ceilings tower above them, lined with luminous stones and decorated similarly to the rest of the domain. The room is oval shaped rather than a square like most Hylian-styled bedrooms, and at the back left of the room, two steps lead down to a round pool, deep enough for Mipha to stand without her head finding the surface. A light blue, shell-shaped rug lays between the pool and a rather large water bed, perfectly made with light blue blankets.

The walls are covered in all forms of drawings, paintings, sketches- and it isn’t hard to tell which pictures are Sidon’s, the cute little crayon drawings are incredibly messy, resembling things like his teachers, his parents, Mipha, and those cute little furballs that are supposed to be Rinku.

Most of the other drawings are Mipha’s. She learned how to wield a paintbrush just as well as she can wield her trident, and the results are incredible to look at.

On the wall are various watercolors of places around the Domain, an oil painting of her parents, sketches here and there of her Father, her Mother, Sidon, one or two of the Champions, and that tiny inked one partially hidden by the bed that resembles Muzu if you squint.

Many of the paintings and drawings on the other wall were of himself and his pack, a painting of him smiling, sketches of his sibling’s various emotions, some showing off Sonji’s tiny fangs and Myra’s mouth full of shark teeth.. There were even some of their wolf forms, angry, playful and cute. The centerpiece of all the drawings was a painting of Rinku howling at the Blood Moon.

Sidon pokes him and he snaps back to attention, blinking at the little prince, then shaking out his fur.

The little prince shields his face and giggles, and when Rinku settles again, he beams, gesturing for Rinku to follow.

Rinku settles on the seashell rug next to the prince, who is pulling out a box of crayons and a few slips of paper.

He hums while he colors, and Rinku happily sits for him, changing positions every so often so Sidon has new things to draw.

He hears distant chatter, and the door opens.

“-trunk can move _how much?_ ” Zelda is saying as Zelda is saying as Mipha guides her inside.

Mipha laughs brightly, “Quite a bit!”

“How fast can you move it?” Zelda asks, “Does it move left and right or just up and down?”

Mipha laughs again, “I’ll have to experiment, Princess.”

Rinku lifts his head and she winks at him, coming to sit next to Sidon.

“Very nice!” She says brightly, tracing her finger over the yellow and orange scribbles of Rinku, “Can I try?”

Sidon nods, passing her a piece of paper and a pink crayon.

She turns to Zelda, “May I draw you?”

Zelda blinks in surprise, “O-oh uhm-”

Her eyes meet Rinku’s and he nods.

“Y-yes of course,” She decides, looking back to Mipha, “Where would you like me to-”

Mipha points to the bed and stands, “How about there?”

Rinku watches them go, Zelda on the bed, and Mipha on a stool across from her. The Zora Princess reaches forward to fix her hair a bit, then settles back on the stool.

“Hold still, “She requests quietly.

Rinku looks back to Sidon and the Prince shows him the scribbles. Rinku’s tail wags in delight, Sidon is improving! At least a little bit!

Sidon beams, reaching forward to pet him.

“Sidon,” Mipha calls, still drawing with the little pink crayon and glancing between Zelda and the paper, “It’s almost your bedtime, love, why don’t you go get ready for bed?”

Sidon whines.

“I know, sweetheart,” She answers, “But come on, let’s go. RInku will go with you.”

Rinku stands, and so does Sidon, moving to the bathroom, through the door on the other side of the bed. Rinku waits until he’s finished and ready for bed, and together they head to the pool in his bedroom. The prince slips into it, curling up at the bottom to sleep.

Rinku watches him, to make sure he’s safe, then stands, crosses the room, and settles again at Mipha’s side.

“Thank you,” She says quietly, looking back and forth between the princess and her paper, “for helping Sidon.”

His tail wags.

A few minutes of drawing later, she stops, looks at it, then adds a little more shading and passes it to Zelda.

“I’m afraid it’s not my best work,” She says, “But I do hope you’ll like it.”

Zelda takes it, eyes going a little wide.

“Oh!” She almost gasps, “Mipha! This is-”

Mipha smiles, and Zelda trails off.

“Uhm… where’s my… hair?”

“Oh, right!” Mipha claps her hands together, “I thought it would be cute! Your hair is lovely, princess, but I didn’t think I’d be able to draw it so beautifully in such a short amount of time.”

Zelda smiles, “Thank you Mipha.”

Mipha stands, “You’re welcome to sleep in here tonight, on this bed, if you’d like.”

“We wouldn’t want to intrude,” Zelda mutters, but Mipha waves her worries away with a light smile.

“Quite alright, you are always welcome in here.”

Zelda thanks her quietly, “I-I’d love to sleep in here tonight, thank you.”

Mipha nods, then looks to Rinku on the floor, “Are you alright here on the floor?”

“He’ll-” Zelda speaks up, pinkening when Mipha shoots her a questioning look, “He’ll sleep with me.”

“Oh,” Mipha glances at Rinku, then smiles to Zelda, “Then have a lovely night, both of you, I’m sorry I won’t be able to accompany you to Hyrule in the morning.”

*****

Zelda hasn't stopped messing with the same guardian for about two hours now, and Link is starting to get annoyed and cramped from being in the same position for too long.

What’s the problem? Why is she making such a big deal over this machine?

Link tilts his head back. The sun's gone down by now, and the moon's coming out, a waning crescent. Myra should be shifting tonight, along with Trouble and Sonj-

"LINK!"

Link opens his eyes, blinking in confusion before looking to the tiny girl running towards him. Her blond hair is short for a ten-year-old, and her hyperness comes from her love of sweets.

He smiles and shrinks down to her eye level, noting that her scent is distressed and that her eyes are frantic.

His smile fades as she approaches, “Hey Jaji, what's goi-"

"TROUBLE'S STUCK!" She shouts.

Link immediately shoots upright. "Where?!"

"In here, hurry hurry hurry!"

She grabs his arm and starts yanking him back towards the door. She's not strong enough to move him, but if she doesn't stop pulling, she'll rip his sleeve.

"Princess!" Link turns and shouts to Zelda, who's looked up but hasn't moved from the guardian. "Come on, quickly, please!"

She drops her tools and hurries to him and the smaller girl.

Sonji looks frantic, and he can see the transformation in her terrified green eyes.

"Sonji, stay out here in the moonlight," Link commands as gently as he can through his panic, "Where is he?"

Sonji bursts into tears, "He-he's stuck in the lockup! N-no guards would give us the key!"

Link growls. "Okay, okay okay okay,"

He grabs her shoulders and looks her in the eye-

"Okay, Sonji, listen to me," he tells her, "Stay here with Zelda. I'm going to go help him, okay? He'll be fine, I promise."

Sonji lets out another choking sob, her dirty-blond hair shaking along with her shoulders.

Link turns to Zelda with pleading eyes.

"Watch her, please, T-Trouble i-is in trouble."

Zelda nods, yelping when Sonji barrels into her for a hug.

As soon as Sonji lets go of him, Link sprints into the castle, through the halls, toppling over maids and tables and tapestries, half-yelling apologies over his shoulder.

As he runs he's got this feeling that you're too late, you're _too late_ , going through his head, every cell in his body chanting, he's gone, he's gone, _he's gone-_

But he's _not_ gone, he _can't_ be gone-

Link slams into someone, knocking both to the ground.

"Sorry!" He scrambles to his feet and starts off again, only to have his ankle grabbed by the man on the floor.

"Where're you going, champ?"

Link whips his head around.

"Dad!" He yanks Roland back onto his feet and nearly starts crying because he's frantic and he has to go, _Trouble might be dying-_

"Woah there Link, breathe buddy, what's wrong?"

_"Trouble's in the Lockup and he's about to transform!"_

Roland's eyes go wide and without another word takes off after Link towards the Lockup.

They sprint together, with whatever guards had been with Roland, down into the dark halls of his least favorite place in the entire castle.

Roars fill their ears, painful roars that break Link's heart.

_"TROUBLE!"_

A sharp, wild smell hits his nose, the raw scent of _monster_ , mangled with wolf parts and dripping with blood- causing him to jerk back, slapping both hands over his mouth and nose to try and block it.

Roland skids to a stop beside him.

"Oh..."

Link rapidly blinks tears out of his eyes, wincing as he tries to lift his head for longer than a few moments.

"Oh no," Roland wraps an arm around Link's shoulders.

Link holds his breath and looks up, still covering half his face, and gasping at what he sees, eyes going wide.

His teeth are as sharp as jagged knives, trying to bite through the bars of the cell.

His claws are long swords, scratching at the ground and slashing at any guards who come too close.

His fur is wild, wilder than it has ever been, crackling with Ganon's malice, bits of purple flying out everywhere as he snarls and shakes and slashes.

He's bigger than any wolf should be- a man fused with a wolf- bigger than the dueling peaks.

His eyes-

Link heaves in a breath and buries his face in Roland's chest, tears spilling over his cheeks and throat letting out a heart-wrenching sob.

Roland wraps both arms around him.

"Shh...shh... I've got you, bud."

Trouble roars and Link reaches up to squeeze his ears shut because that thing is _not Trouble anymore._

"Get him out of here!" Roland shouts above him.

"No-" Link hates the way his voice cracks, and how he's trembling and trembling, "D-don't- don't touch him- h-he's-"

There’s movement behind him and the cell begins to open-

“NO-!” Link shrieks, shoving away from his Father and tackling the guard to the floor, knocking him out of the way as one massive claw strikes out, missing the guard but catching Link’s face-

He collapses on the ground on top of the guard as another guard shuts the cell, and the smell of his own blood hits his nose.

Too much. I-It’s all t-too much-

The panic in his lungs makes it hard to breathe. When his dad calls his name he barely hears it.

He can't breathe. Can't breathe, can't breathe, _can't breathe-_

He's hauled upright and the monster roars again, this time from pain rather than anger-

"GET AWAY!" Roland shouts over Link's whimpering.

Link _cannot breathe,_ quickly lifting his head, looking straight into the startled hazel of his father's eyes.

"D-Dad pl-please I can't-"

"C'mon bud," Roland wraps an arm around his shoulders and helps him along, out of the lockup and outside, we’re the moonlight taunts them.

"Link," Papa's voice rises to the surface of the water in his ears, "Focus on me, okay? Focus on my voice and nothing else."

Then he starts talking, calmly and easily, instructing Link to breathe while guiding him to sit against the wall and staying there, holding his hands while Link... figures out... h-how to breathe again.

"There, see?" Roland says as Link's breathing evens out, "Good job bud."

He pulls a wet cloth from- somewhere- Link's having a hard time focusing-

"I'm going to touch your face now, is that alright?" Roland asks.

Link nods.

His Father’s touch is gentle, patting the space above his left eyebrow and moving carefully across his nose and down to the space under his right eye.

"That is gonna be one nasty scar," Comes Jolastu's voice somewhere above him.

Link reaches up, but Roland stops him before he can feel it.

"Best not touch it for now," Roland tells him. "Jolastu, will you hunt down some bandages?

He sits there, holding his dad’s hand as a cloth is pressed to his face and tears drip down, soaking into the fabric, and he's never felt so dead tired in his life.

Eventually, Jolastu gets back and the cloth is pulled away. Sonji is there, her mossy green eyes watching him from the body of a tawny gold wolf.

Zelda is kneeling next to him, and when she meets his eyes, she gently takes both his hands in her and rubs circles with her thumbs.

"Give him some space," Roland says and his siblings back up. Zelda squeezes his fingers and moves away.

Roland cleans up the gash and figures out how to put the bandages on.

"Alright, after you get some food in you, your crazy fast healing powers should close that right up and we can take off the bandages."

Link's eyes well with tears as Roland pulls him to his feet.

"You alright now kiddo?” He asks.

“No,” he answers, “No- h-he just- he-“

“Shh…” Roland pulls him into a hug, ”Don’t think about that right now.”

Sonji rubs her cheek on his leg, whining softly.

“I’m confused,” Jolastu speaks up behind Roland, “What just happened?”

*****

Jol takes it hard.

Link finds him sitting alone on their roof- the place they always sat together to watch the stars and listen to rain. His pointed ears are drooping- the black hair on his head fallen in front of his teary blue eyes.

Link says nothing- words are too hard- and settles at his side, using his feet to hold himself up on their uneven roof.

Jolastu doesn’t even look up, letting Link settle and soon leaning into his side. Link lets him, the scent of Trouble still lingering on Jol’s hair and on the undershirt he’s wearing.

“You smell him too?” Jolastu sighs, “He’s still here with me- at least a little.”

Link nods.

Jolastu turns to press his nose into Link’s neck, and the steady breaths ease Link’s mind.

“You’re drowning in the Princess’s scent,” Jolastu mutters.

Link breathes a laugh.

“How are you faring?” Jol turns his head, one bright blue eye staring up at Link, “Is she just like her horror stories? The ones the old guards told us?”

Link shrugs.

He remembers the stories of course- from the old guards, back when Zelda was fifteen and travelled around to ask the Champions to be Champions. The two guards with her- Percy and Wolrik- told stories about how demanding and terrible she was.

Link smiles to himself, “She’s not that bad once you get to know her.”

Jolastu flicks his ears, then nuzzles Link’s neck again.

“First time I’ve heard you talk in months,” He breathes a laugh, “I miss you a lot, brother mine.”

Link wraps his arm around Jolastu.

“I miss you too, Jol,” Link murmurs into his hair.

They sit together for hours and hours, watching the moon and stars shift across the sky. They soak in each other’s scents as they sit, and Jolastu murmurs about all the different things Trouble’s ever smelled like, and in return Link tells him stories of the princess, the way her hair never seems to do what she wants, how her eyes sparkle like the sun when she smiles, and how Mingyu is absolutely right for having a crush on her.

“You guys bonded over that for years,” Jolastu half-laughs, “But I don’t see it.”

“That’s cause you’re gay.”

Jolastu laughs, “Fair point. So was Trevs.”

After that, they fall into another comfortable silence.

Jolastu’s tears come and go, sometimes fast, sometimes slow. Link stays with him until Jol’s breathing evens out and he falls asleep on Link’s shoulder.

The morning brings new scents- old, familiar-

“Your Dad isn’t a guard anymore.”

Link looks down at his pack brother.

“What?”

Jolastu nods against his shoulder, “Says he found work at a Research Lab in Hateno. Got kicked when Trouble turned.”

That information felt both very right and wrong, for very different reasons.

“Reggi too? Tulip?” Link asks, “You?”

“Shane,” Jolastu mutters, “Shane too. We were all kicked. We’re apparently too dangerous now.”

Link swallows.

Jolastu pokes him when he doesn’t say anything.

Their eyes meet, and he says at nearly a whisper, “What about me?”

Jolastu shrugs, then pulls away and looks into Link’s eyes.

“You’ll be okay,” He assures him softly, “I’m sure of it.”

*****

Word of Trouble’s torturous transformation spreads quickly through castle town, and the King- pressured by his subjects- gives his pack a week to relocate to another town. Somewhere far away from the royal family and the capitol, with the exception of Link, who will continue to work as Zelda’s appointed knight. He’s only allowed to stay because of the triforce of courage- along with the promise that if he ever turns the way Trouble did, any citizen in all of Hyrule has permission to end his life.

Three days is all it takes for Link and his family to pack up whatever belongings they have into sacks, boxes, and a little horse-drawn wagon, pulled by Reggi’s horse, a rather large brown horse named Pat.

They’ve found homes in Hateno. Reggi, Tulip, the twins, Jolastu and Myra are all living together in a house in the middle of town, large enough for each of them to have a bed, space under the stairs, and a rather pleasant kitchen.

On the other side of town, past a general store and across a little wooden bridge is where Link’s family has made home, with little Sonji. The house is small, a main floor with a kitchen, and a loft above with a bed. There’s a makeshift bedroom under the stairs.

It’s nice, Link decides as he carries a crate inside to set on the table. Big enough to live comfortably with a nice homely smell. Their last home was a mess of all their smells, but this house smells only of his blood family, and little Sonji. It’s really nice- not too overwhelming, though he’ll always miss Trouble’s scent around every turn.

“Thanks again for your help, Princess,” Connie says behind him, and he turns to see her holding the door for Zelda, who is carrying another crate, “I don’t know what we would have done without you and that horse of yours.”

“You’re very welcome!” Zelda answers cheerfully, “And please, call me Zelda.”

Connie smiles, “Go ahead and put that crate next to Link’s over there.”

Zelda nods and makes her way over, nudging Link’s shoulder with her own and setting the crate down. He smiles at her, then turns to the door and heads out to finish unpacking.

Hateno has this fresh… not-Castle-Town scent that he just wants to breathe forever, and not for the first time, he wishes he was born a farm boy instead of a castle guard, away from destiny and castles and crazy early training sessions-

“Hey kid,” Reggi slaps a hand on his back, startling him out of his thoughts, and he looks up at the alpha fondly, “Good work.”

“Thank you,” Link answers softly, “How’s everything going over there? You guys unpacked?”

Reggi wiggles his hand in the air, “Eh, kinda. Tula’s got her stuff all unpacked but Myra’s a wolf and Jol’s just cryin’ and Mings is teasin’ Shane again and already it smells like somethin’ died, so I figured I’d come on over here t’see if y’all needed any help before I take my horse back.”

“I think we’re alright,” Link answers, “Thank you, though.”

Reggi deflates a bit and sighs, “Worth a shot. Now I gotta go see what died and either make Mings cook it up for dinner or throw it out.”

Link pulls a face and Reggi laughs, a bright, booming laugh that sounds more wolf than human, “I’m kiddin’ don’t pull that face, kid.”

After his laugh dies down to chuckles, “D’you n’ the princess wanna help out over at our place before y’all leave?”

Link smiles up at him, “I’ll ask Zelda.”

*****

“Be sure to take the time to soothe your mount…” Zelda murmurs, stroking her horse’s neck, “That’s the only way it will know how you truly feel.”

She looks up to Link and smiles, earning the slightest smile in return.

“Your advice was quite helpful- thank you,” She says, settling back and looking up at him, “This little one and I are getting along quite well now.”

Link’s smile widens.

“At first, I wasn’t sure sure if I should outfit him with all of the royal gear,” She fills the silence, confident of the fact Link is listening, “I thought, maybe he should have to earn it first.”

The horse shakes out his mane and Zelda smiles, “But it works. He wears it like a true natural.”

She catches Link’s eye, “I’m trying to be more empathetic. Benefit of the doubt, you know?”

He hums in agreement, and they fall into a pleasant silence, all the way to the park.

Once they’re stopped, Link flips around the front of his horse and lands next to Zelda, grinning and offering a hand.

Zelda breathes a laugh, holding onto her horse and moving to get down, “Showoff.”

She moves past him, over the uneven ground, and up the wooden steps, past the Horse Statue and out onto the balcony.

She watches the sky change and the clouds drift past, saying nothing until Link’s footsteps come close and then to a stop behind her.

“See that mountain?” She says gently, “That’s Mt. Lanayru.”

Saying her name brings a reverence, and her next words are soft, “It takes its name from the Goddess of Wisdom.”

She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. When she opens them again, she explains, “Lanayru’s decree is very specific.”

It only takes her a moment to remember, “It says: “No one is allowed under the age of seventeen…”

“For only the wise,” she says, “Are permitted a place upon the mountain.”

“I’ve prayed at the Spring of Courage, and at the Spring of Power, but neither awoke anything inside of me.”

“But…” She lifts her hands to her chest, pressing the space over her heart, “Maybe up there. Perhaps at the Spring of Wisdom, the final of the three, will be the one.”

He hands fall back to her sides and she takes a deep breath, “Of course, I have no real reason to believe that would be the case,” She breathes a laugh, “But there’s always the chance that the next moment will change… everything.”

They sky changes then, bursts of yellow and orange behind the silhouette of Hyrule, “Tomorrow…” She pauses.

“Tomorrow is my seventeenth birthday.”

Her eyes well with tears, and as the sky changes, she turns to Link, catching his eye.

“So then I shall go,” She murmurs, gentle tears slipping down her cheeks, “And make my way up the mountain.”

*****

Their footsteps are heavy as they descend the mountain.

Nothing. Zelda prayed for hours, asking, _pleading_ with the Goddess, crying, wondering, why why _why_ won’t her powers awaken? Why is she weak? _Why do the Gods hate her?_ Breaking Link’s heart with every word-

Link follows only two paces behind, giving her space while staying close enough to touch her if she reaches for him. Springwater drips behind her, leaving trails of droplets along the ground.

Another reason for Link to worry. Isn’t she freezing in those wet clothes?

They sky changes as the sun dips lower in the sky. Their steps seem endless.

_Crunch, crunch._

_Crunch, crunch._

All the way down the mountain, until the distant shapes of the Champions come into view, and then their scents soon after, laced with all sorts of overwhelming emotions- concern, frustration, sadness-

Daruk is the first to speak as they pass under the east gate- his scent is the most concerned.

“Well? Don’t keep us in suspense,” He says, leaning close, “How’d everything go up there on the mountain?”

Link watches Zelda, and the emotions battling in her eyes.

She lowers her chin and shakes her head, and Revali steps forward.

“So you didn’t feel anything?” His scent is the most frustrated, his question is more of a statement, “No power at all.”

Zelda takes a steady breath, close to tears, “I’m sorry, no.”

A moment of silence. The Champions look to Link for confirmation, but he ignores them, watching Zelda and fighting the urge to give her a hug.

Urbosa steps forward, and all attention turns to her.

“Then let’s move on,” Her scent is a mix, she’s frustrated, concerned, scared, all tied it one, “You’ve done all you could.”

Zelda’s face hardens.

“Feeling sorry for yourself won’t be of any help,” Urbosa says gently, “After all, it’s not like your last shot was up there on Mt. Lanayru.”

She gestures at the mountain, then turns back to Zelda, _“Anything_ could finally spark the power to seal Ganon away.”

The other champions take a collective breath, but only Link can hear it.

“We just have to keep looking for that…thing.”

Zelda takes a deep breath, and suddenly just looks so _tired_ -

“That’s kind of you,” Her voice is soft and she doesn’t look up, “Thank you.”

A moment of silence, then Mipha steps forward. Her scent is worried, concerned, and a little sad.

“If I may,” She says, and Zelda gives her a questioning look but allows the Zora Princess to lace their fingers together.

“I thought you…” she shakes her head, “Well, I’m not sure how to put this into words…”

She lets out a little nervous laugh, “I-I’m actually quite embarrassed to say it.”

Zelda gently squeezes her fingers.

Mipha looks up into Zelda’s eyes then and smiles, “But I was thinking about what I do when I’m healing.”

Zelda tilts her head.

“You know, what usually goes through my mind…” She murmurs, “It helps when I think- when I think about-”

The world begins to tremble. Rocks topple over, trees shudder, losing leaves.

At the same moment, pain shoots through him, like an arrow to the stomach, and he falls to his knees with a cry, arms wound tightly around himself.

“L-Link?!”

The he pukes, stomach heaving its contents onto the ground in front of him. The sharp smell of it slams into the back of his nose- his eyes water and all he can do is try not to puke again, nails digging into his sides.

His stomach heaves again, expelling more contents into the already present pile, and hands fall onto his back. He wavers, then falls to the side, curling into a ball and whimpering pathetically. By the gods, it hurts to _breathe-_

There are hands on him again, Mipha’s voice swims in an out of focus. He clamps both hands over his ears, tears escaping his eyes, leaving trails of hurt behind them.

 _Everything_ hurts, from his toes to his fingertips to right behind his eyes and he howls in pain as he’s forced into his transformation.

“Link!”

That was Zelda’s voice-

A whine comes from him then as he lays in a trembling heap of wolf- his paws are burning, burning, _burning-_

“Little Guy!” Daruk shouts and he flinches, “We need ya! Stay with us!”

The pain fades, slowly.

His eyes fly open and Mipha’s face comes into view, worried, scared, hands shaking as they heal-

“Link?” she frets, “Link, are you alright?”

Before he can answer, a howl tears out of his throat and his skin tears apart, his bones stretch, his insides are burning- _burning-_ and just like that, he’s Hylian again-

“It _hurts-”_ he chokes- gripping her arm- “M-Mipha- E-everything hurts- p-please I can’t I-”

His face burns, then twists, and he nearly throws up again-

He’s a wolf-

Through the ocean in his head, he hears Mipha take a deep breath- and slowly, the pain in his middle begins to fade. He heaves in a breath now that his lungs aren’t burning, and it spreads from his middle to the tips of his paws, then up to his ears and calming the ache behind his eyes.

He lays still for a moment, completely stilled. Gentle hands run through the fur on his side, and he simply breathes, pain now a memory.

He peels his eyes open, and he turns his head- there’s Mipha, fingers glowing a soft blue.

”Rinku?” she says softly, “Are you alright?”

He takes another deep breath. Time to move.

He pushes himself onto his trembling paws, wincing at the smell of throw up and leaning against Mipha, who pushes her healing as far into him as she can, to give him strength to move on his own.

The champions look at him, terrified, and Revali lands far away from him.

“It’s here,” Urbosa growls, in a battle stance between him and the princess, but instead of looking at him, she’s glaring at a mass of malice in the sky.

“This is it, then…” Daruk agrees.

Mipha still has her hands buried in Rinku’s fur, keeping him upright, “Are you sure?”

Revali shoots a pointed look at Rinku, “Positive.”

Zelda’s voice is soft, Rinku almost doesn’t catch it, “It’s awake…Ganon!”

The swirling beast roars, and Zelda gasps. The Champions are frozen- what to do- _what do they do?_

Daruk shakes out of it first and turns to the others, commanding, confident, knees shaking, “Let’s stop wasting time! We’re gonna need everything we’ve got to take that thing down!”

The other champions come to, and they nod to him, “Now Champions!”

Daruk throws his arm over his head, “To your Divine Beasts! Show that swirling swine who’s boss!”

The champions nod again, so Daruk continues-

“Link will need to meet Ganon head on when we attack! This needs to be a unified assault!”

Rinku takes in several more deep breaths, he’s not sure he can even _move_ right now- taking Ganon down as a wolf will be an adventure it looks like-

“Little Guy!” Daruk is addressing him, and he looks up, “You get to Hyrule Castle.”

His eyes turn serious, “You can count on us for support. But it’s up to _you_ to pound Ganon into oblivion!”

He nods, and Mipha kisses his forehead, “Does anything else hurt, love?”

He moves. He feels like a wolf- and his headache feels like it will return first-

He shakes his head, and she kisses him again, a last bit of healing magic to keep him stable- stable enough for the road at least.

She pats him, then turns to Daruk, “We’re travelling together for a little while yes? Until you go north to the volcan-”

“Come,” Urbosa’s voice interrupts Mipha’s then, and Rinku turns to see the Gerudo placing her hands on Zelda’s shoulders, “We should go. We need to get you someplace safe.”

Zelda is watching Rinku with a steady look in her eyes- burning with determination-

“No!” She insists, turning to the Gerudo, “I am _not_ a child anymore! I-I may not be much use on the battlefield…”

She looks to Rinku.

“But Link- Link needs my help,” She says, then turns sharply back to the other champions, “There must… There must be something I can do to help!”

***** 

Rinku can still feel Mipha’s magic working through him, but it’s fading fast with every tree they pass, with every drop of rain and Guardian blast in the distance. The rope in his mouth has Zelda at the other end, and he lets on a burst of speed.

When she gasps, he skids to a stop and she falls with a splash behind him. He turns around to find her on the ground, tears mixing with rain underneath her.

He hurries to her, circling and sniffing at her, checking for injuries, then rubbing his head against her arm and whining softly.

“How…” She whispers. He flicks his ears and looks up.

“How did it come to this?”

He presses closer, turning his gaze to the sky. Rain pelts them mercilessly as she murmurs, “The Divine Beasts… The Guardians…”

He watches the woods, padding around to face her.

“Th-they’ve all t-turned against us-”

She sucks in a breath and he nuzzles her again, pressing his face into her shoulder and rubbing her cheek with his.

He backs away and whines softly.

“It was… Calamity Ganon…” Her face hardens, fists tightening, and he whines again as she continues, “It turned them all against us!”

He leans in close, trying to catch her eye, but she doesn’t look at him.

“And everyone-Mipha, Urbosa, Revali and Daruk…” She looks up then, green eyes red-rimmed and full of tears, “They’re all trapped inside those things…”

“And it’s all my fault!” She buries her face in her hands with a sob, “Our only hope for defeating Ganon is lost, all because I couldn’t harness this cursed power!”

“Everything--” She chokes, “Everything I’ve done up until now… I-it was all for _nothing…”_

He goes in to nuzzle her again, but her head shoots up before he can get close enough, “So I really _am_ just a _failure!”_

He startles at her outburst, and her eyes waterfall with tears, “All my friends…” She chokes, “the entire kingdom…”

“My father most of all…” she hiccups a breath, “I-I tried-” tears stream down her face, “I tried, a-and I failed them all…”

“I-I’ve left them…” She whispers, “All to die.”

A heart-wrenching sob escapes her then, and she throws her arms around him, crying into his fur.

He whines and nuzzles her again, pressing closer as she chokes on sobs. Around them, the rain falls.

*****

The Guardians advance, and the transformation surges through him, making him puke, turning him human and leaving him weak enough to collapse on the mud-soaked ground.

He gasps, sucking in a breath and pushing himself shakily to his feet, willing the world to stop spinning. The guardians are still advancing- he draws the master sword and readies himself, and falls to his knees, using the sword to hold himself up. His fluctuating transformations are leaving him weak, and he flinches at Zelda’s hand on his back.

“Link! Save yourself! Go!” she shouts, sounding desperate, “I’ll be fine! Don’t worry about me!”

He growls at that, head pounding.

“Run!”

He forces himself to his feet and stumbles back as the Guardian climbs over its dead brethren, pointing a glowing blue eye and a flashing red beam right at his chest-

“NO!” Zelda screams, shoving him out of the way.

He falls with a gasp, eyes blurring with rain and tears. There’s a bright flash- then a shockwave that strikes his heart and knocks the air out of him- and the guardians collapse, one by one.

A moment of silence, and he pants, struggling for breath. He can feel himself losing air- and Zelda whispers something- s-something-

He collapses, and his wolf half backs away, no longer trying to take hold of him.

I-It’s getting harder... t-to breathe…

“No, no…!” Zelda’s hands are on him then, one at his thigh, the other on his shoulder, shaking him, “Link! Get up!”

Obediently, he coughs, looking up at her… but…

“You’re going to be just fine…”

He looks at her, meeting her eyes for a split second. He smiles, a tiny, gentle smile, before his eyes slip shut and his head rolls back in her arms.

_She’s… so…_

_...warm..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :O
> 
> Super special thanks to Silverheartlugia2000 for the title! Now we don’t have to pretend XD
> 
> also here's a question i'm curious about, how do y'all say Myra's name?  
> Is it "Meer-a" or "My-ra"? (my as in mine)  
> Either one is just fine (i switch back and forth depending on how fast i'm reading) but i'm curious! throw it down in a comment if you'd like to let me know :D  
> Thanks for reading! See you in chapter 3!


	3. The Open Plateau

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> But one short walk is not enough to calm the restlessness in his lungs, and he allows the pull to take him back up the road, towards the shrine-  
> -when out of the doorway rushes a familiar Hylian, wearing clothes that don't fit, his blue eyes filled with so much wonder and light it almost makes his old mouth twitch into a smile.  
> Link gazes out at all of Hyrule- _it's glorious in the morning, he remembers, after seeing the awe on Link's face-_ but soon his brilliant blue-eyed stare turns to meet Rhoam's, and both freeze.  
> This is not the Link he knew before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, whatever you're doing right now, _stop doing it and go play some Luigi's Mansion 3_ because (╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻ mY HECKING HECK LM3 WAS SO GREAT 10/10 I LOVED IT-
> 
> anyhoo- ┬─┬ノ( º _ ºノ) Happy New Year and hullo friends! This was supposed to come out forever ago but then LM3 happened, and so did Christmas and travelling and I got distracted, but I'm back now and I hope you all enjoy this mess i've created!
> 
> Love you all! <3

_…_

_...open your eyes…_

_...Open your eyes…_

_Open your eyes._

_Wake up, Link..._

*****

It was... strange, waking up dead. For a long time all he could do was watch from the cliffs of the plateau as his kingdom was torn apart- first by the malice in the castle, then the earthquakes, quickly followed by the Divine Beasts, the Guardians, the monsters big and small-

In a temple built for a goddess, he found he could no longer breathe, dressed as the king of a land taken by a calamity only three days before.

But now, a century later, long after the monster raids and quakes of malice ended, Rhoam wakes in the dead of night, alone, in a cabin crafted by his own hand.

He groans without making a sound and pushes himself upright to rub the sleep from his eyes and curse the world for not letting him sleep just a few moments longer.

Oh well. No use dwelling on what he can't control. If the world wants him to be up, he's up, scratching his beard and wondering if today is the day when Mr. Hero will finally wake up.

He chuckles and shakes his head. After pushing himself upright and puttering around the cabin for a bit, he ducks through the doorway to get on with the morning.

The day Mr. Hero wakes up will be the day bokoblins learn to fly.

The early morning air outside his cabin is nice, and even after one hundred years, the stars greet him like a friend, blinking softly as he takes up his axe and starts off into the forest.

A fallen log marks his place, and he picks up right where he left off, chopping down trees for more firewood.

Swing.

Chop.

Swing.

Chop.

One hundred years has slowly engraved this movement into him- he could probably cut down trees in his sleep.

Swing.

Chop.

Swing.

Chop.

He is a ghost, he feels no fatigue, no hunger. He does not stop, even when the first rays of sunlight have kissed the horizon, when there are bundles upon bundles of wood piled up beside him-

Swing.

Chop.

Swing.

Ch-

Something stops him, mid swing, and he lowers his axe.

He tilts his chin down, and under his beard, something pulls at him.

A feeling. A sign. A whisper.

He lifts his head- looks northwest, towards the pull, and realization comes to him slowly.

The Shrine of Resurrection?

_Is it time?_

Rhoam lifts his axe to rest on his shoulder, tucks a bundle of wood under his arm, and takes a long, deep breath. He lets the air rush through him, and in three steps, he is standing under the overhang just below the shrine's entrance. He can teleport- it's a perk of being dead.

The feeling is restless now, dancing about in his heart and telling him like a promise, _it is time, it is time, it is time-_

He sets the wood down in a heap and turns to see his cane and lantern still against the wall from when he was here last.

He takes his cane and calms himself with a short walk to the stump down the road. With one swing, his axe is lodged in the stump, ready for him to retrieve it later.

But one short walk is not enough to calm the restlessness in his lungs, and he allows the pull to take him back up the road, towards the shrine-

-when out of the doorway rushes a familiar Hylian, wearing clothes that don't fit, his blue eyes filled with so much wonder and light it almost makes his old mouth twitch into a smile.

Link gazes out at all of Hyrule- _it's glorious in the morning, he remembers, after seeing the awe on Link's face-_ but soon his brilliant blue-eyed stare turns to meet Rhoam's, and both freeze.

This is not the Link he knew before.

He looks the same- a flop of golden hair on his head, his bangs hanging over the scar across his face. There's a splash of freckles under the scar and all across his arms- but he's _different-_ his eyes are more open, and he looks like he's breathing with his whole body instead of trying to keep himself hidden away.

Rhoam moves first, turning back to the overhang and settling easily. He sits and leans against his cane, pulls a few apples from the pouch at his waist, and starts a fire so the apples can bake. Link's been sleeping for one hundred years- he's probably going to be hungry.

Rhoam watches calmly as Link makes his way down the hill, gathering mushrooms and acorns, swinging twigs about like they're swords and pushing rocks down the slope.

He climbs on absolutely _everything,_ including the apple tree next to the overhang.

He drops to the ground and picks up one of the baked apples-

"I BEG YOUR PARDON!" Rhoam shouts, throat protesting after almost a century of disuse, "I do believe that is my baked apple! You can't just go about taking whatever you please!"

Link's eyes widen, and Rhoam watches them dance- filled with fright, uncertainty, and debate, as if he doesn't know if he should put it down or not.

"Oho ho!" Rhoam laughs, "Forgive me-I could not resist pulling your leg."

Link relaxes a little at that.

He clears his throat before speaking again, voice hoarse from the shouting, "Please help yourself. An apple and an open flame make for a succulent treat."

That seems to rid Link of any further hesitation; he is quick to gather the other four apples.

"It is a bit strange to see another soul in these parts."

Link's eyes are on him again, studying him as if he's never seen him before, and Rhoam simply lets him look.

"Who are you?"

Rhoam almost smiles again. He hasn't heard Link's voice since the boy was seven years old. It's much deeper now- hoarse like his own from years of disuse, but it is Link's.

"Me?" he questions, and Link nods, "I'll spare you my life story."

Link plops down, legs crossed, and _pouts_ at him, which is something that would have absolutely never happened one hundred years ago.

Rhoam chuckles, "I'm just an old fool who has lived here, alone, for quite some time now."

Link stops pouting at him, flicks his ears and settles back a little. He nods to himself and stares at the apples in his lap before Rhoam asks him another question.

"What brings a bright-eyed young man like you to a place like this?"

Link lifts his head from the apples and looks around at the trees, seven different kinds of confusion painted on his face before he asks, "Where are we?"

"Answering a question with a question," Rhoam nods and moves the logs of his fire with a stick, "That is fair enough."

Link's eyes are following the stick's movement in the fire as he continues, "As I cannot imagine our meeting to be a simple coincidence...I shall tell you."

Link meets his eyes again and nods.

"This is the Great Plateau. According to legend, this is the birthplace of the entire kingdom of Hyrule."

Link's eyebrows slowly knit together and he tilts his head. It is clear he does not understand, so Rhoam pushes himself to his feet to explain further.

He guides Link to the path and points with his cane to the Temple of Time.

"That temple there... Long ago, it was the site of many sacred ceremonies. Ever since the decline of the kingdom 100 years ago, it has sat abandoned, in a state of decay."

He drops his point and looks back to Link, "Yet another forgotten entity. A mere ghost of its former self..."

He trails off. Link is not looking at him, but instead at the temple, as if it is familiar.

So Rhoam walks back to his fire and sits, leaning against his cane again.

What he does not expect is for Link to follow him.

"What are you doing?" The boy asks, leaning over him, and Rhoam laughs.

"I'm relaxing by the fireside, of course," He answers easily, "Although I'll need to cook myself another baked apple at some point..."

Link scrambles for his bag, but Rhoam laughs, "It is quite alright, young one. Simple foods such as apples are fine to eat raw, but roasting them on a fire makes them tastier and more nutritious."

"Good to know," Link whispers, "Thank you."

"You are quite welcome."

After a moment of silence between them, the fire crackles, and Rhoam speaks again.

"I shall be here for some time," Rhoam tells him, and blue eyes look on as if he holds all the secrets of the world, "Please let me know if I may be of service."

*****

Later that day, Rhoam witnesses a blue bokoblin screaming at the top of its lungs as it goes flying above the trees, and Rhoam is sure he didn’t stop laughing for at _le_ _ast_ two hours.

*****

His axe is missing.

Actually, _all_ of his axes are missing, yet he knows exactly where all of them are.

All are with a certain Hylian boy, who over the past few days, has nearly fallen off the Great Plateau Tower a dozen times, broken many, many old weapons, surfed on his shield right into a bokoblin camp, tried to eat some very dubious food, and done far to many other ridiculously reckless things, and is somehow _still alive._

After watching yet another field go up in smoke, Rhoam wonders how in Hylia's name he thought making Link a champion was a good idea.

He is sitting in the rain outside of his cabin when Link finds him again, with a torch, a bokoblin shield, and a traveler's bow strapped to his back, clothes and hair dripping from the downpour.

The boy beams, and Rhoam is reminded of something very important when Link's smile reveals his fangs.

This boy is a _werewolf,_ and from what Rhoam has seen over the past few days- Link has absolutely no idea.

"You look wet," Rhoam comments as Link plops down beside him, unstrapping his weapons and setting them aside, "What did you set fire to this time?"

Link laughs, so bright and happy that it makes Rhoam bite back a smile.

"No fields today," Link answers, rubbing the scar across his nose, "Just a cooking pot."

"Good, good.”

They sit together in silence for a moment, though it’s soon broken by Link brushing his hair out of his face. He pulls out the slate and taps the screen a few times, leaning over a bit, and Rhoam is ready to listen to whatever the boy has to say.

"I made you dinner," the werewolf informs him as two bowls appear in his lap, "It's got meat and fish and spicy peppers in it! I thought I'd experiment, and this'll probably keep us warm in the rain."

He offers Rhoam a bowl, and a very familiar smell hits the old man's nose.

"Ah!" Rhoam takes it happily, "You've made my signature dish!"

Link brightens, "Really?"

"It looks just like it, the spicy meat and seafood fry!"

Link beams with pride.

"Can I trouble you to share the recipe?"

"I'd love to share the recipe!"

The next twenty minutes are wonderful. They talk first of the recipe- _Hyrule bass was the missing ingredient, how could he have forgotten?-_ then speak of more dishes and recipes and other cooking tips.

And for that brief moment, he is not a fallen king, and this boy is not a fallen champion- they are two friends laughing together about how hard it is to catch fish with your bare hands.

Link makes a comment about trying to swim in freezing waters, and Rhoam remembers something he's had for a very long time.

"I have a warm doublet in my cabin.”

Link looks up, mouth full of fish and peppers, “Hm?”

Rhoam chuckles and moves to stand, “I’ll be back in a moment.”

And he is. After a short trip around the log to his cabin, he comes back with a bunch of white and green fabric in his hands, and Link perks up curiously, flicking his ears in a way that only other werewolves can.

“It stopped fitting me ages ago,” He leans down to lay it as flat as he can on the log, brushing off bits of hay and dirt off the fabric, which in turn, immediately gets soaked by rain, “You’re welcome to keep it, if you’d like.”

“YES-” Link shouts around the food in his mouth.

Then he swallows in a way that looks incredibly painful, grimaces for a moment before tugging at his collar, and then _beams_ at the old man.

“I _hate_ this shirt. Thank you so much!”

*****

“We are very different.”

Rhoam looks up at his companion, who is wearing pants rolled up to his knees and the doublet he’d given him three days ago. He’s perched in a tree, chewing on an apple, and Rhoam adjusts his hold on his axe before swinging it into the tree with a solid thunk.

“How so?”

Link has the decency to swallow before he speaks, “Well, I’m guessing you can’t smell the berries.”

Rhoam takes a deep breath, tugging at the tool, “What berries?”

“Or hear the bokoblins a hill over.”

Rhoam strains his ears and dislodges the axe from the trunk, “Afraid not.”

“So tell me,” Link hops down from the tree, and his weapons clunk when he hits the ground. He looks up to Rhoam, who swings his axe over his shoulder and gives the boy his full attention, “Why is that? Is it just old age?”

Rhoam chuckles, then moves past Link to another tree.

“I can assure you, young one,” He calls over his shoulder as he readies his axe, “That it has nothing to do with age.”

Link follows him, standing well out of the way as Rhoam swings the axe.

“So what is it then? If you can’t do it, are there people who can?”

“Of course there are,” Rhoam thinks back to his knowledge of werewolves, “I’m sure there are still some like you out in the world.”

“Some like me?”

“Well yes,” Rhoam puts his axe on the ground and rests his arms on the handle, “You are a rather rare find after all. There weren’t many one hundred years ago, and there probably aren’t many now.”

“Many what?”

“Werewolves.”

Link’s face scrunches, and Rhoam can’t tell if he’s confused or just doesn’t believe him.

“Werewolves?”

“That’s what I said.”

“As in,” Link lifts an eyebrow, _“I’m_ a werewolf.”

Rhoam can’t tell if that was a statement or a question, but says yes anyway.

“That’s…” the boy looks thoughtful for a long moment.

“Hard to believe?” Rhoam chuckles, “Indeed. You’ll get used to the idea, I’m sure.”

With that, he lifts his axe again and readies it. Then he swings.

“How do werewolves work?” Link asks as he readies the axe again.

“Oh, you know,” Rhoam swings again, and down comes the tree, “Something about malice and Calamity Ganon and the moon.”

Link’s eyes are comically wide when he turns to look, and Rhoam chuckles.

“I’ll do my best to explain, though it is all rather confusing.”

*****

Rhoam stands atop the Great Plateau Tower- just watching the world pass by.

Link seems to be adjusting well to the news of him being half an animal, and Rhoam wonders if now is a good time to tell him the truth about himself-

-when suddenly Link goes flying over the trees on a pot lid, screaming like a maniac before disappearing again into the woods.

Oh dear. Did he wake up the Talus?

That would be unfortunate.

He goes flying above the trees again, this time followed by several too-large boulders, and

Rhoam worries for the boy’s life.

*****

Rhoam is cutting down trees when it happens.

Swing.

Chop.

Swing.

Ch-

He feels it again- whatever it was that pulled him to the shrine of resurrection- this time pulling him to the Owa Daim shrine- the shrine on the cliff.

He leaves his axe in a stump nearby, and goes to teleport- but stops himself.

Link has completed the tasks set out for him. He did what Rhoam told him to do. He’s gathered the spirit orbs and become stronger- exactly what Rhoam and Hylia wanted for him.

Rhoam’s time on the Great Plateau is coming to an end.

Grief swirls in his chest alongside the pull- but he ignores it in favor of turning to his cabin- to the little house he’s lived in for just over a century- and offers a short prayer of farewell. It’s served its purpose, there’s no longer a reason for it to stand, but he hopes it stays upright for a long time to come.

A memory. Of him. What he did here- though he’ll never see it again.

He turns away, and offers a familiar pat to his axe in the stump, then closes his eyes.

In one deep breath, he’s across the plateau.

He’s in the air, and in a swift movement, he whips out the paraglider and watches for Link.

The boy walks out of the shrine, and Rhoam shouts to get his attention before landing.

Link relaxes from a battle stance as Rhoam turns to him, his cane materializing out of mid air- he isn't bothered to hide his powers from the boy anymore.

"With this, you have now acquired all of the Spirit Orbs from the shrines on this plateau."  
Link beams at him and presses one hand to his chest.

"Oho ho! Extraordinary!" Rhoam chuckles. Link is radiating pride- it brings a smile to his face.

"That means...it is finally time."

Link tilts his head at him, and Rhoam breathes a laugh.

"Link, it is finally time for me to tell you everything."

"Tell me what?"

"All will be answered soon enough," Rhoam assures him, "But first..."

He turns, pointing off in the distance, towards the Temple of Time, "Imagine an X on your map, with the four shrines as the end points. Find the spot where those lines intersect. I shall wait for you there."

Rhoam turns to him then, the bright eyed boy he's known for one hundred years but also only three weeks, the one who rides pot lids into monster camps and knows just how much hylian herb to add to a dish before the whole thing starts tasting like grass-

He’s going to miss him, Rhoam realizes, and for a moment he has to blink back his tears before he speaks again.

“Do you understand?” He begins to teleport while he’s talking, if he does it quickly perhaps he won’t cry, “Where the two lines connecting the shrines would cross…”

He’s almost gone now, but he still sees Link nodding, a shocked look on his face as Rhoam disappears.

“There...I will...be waiting…”

*****

He doesn’t wait for long.

He hears Link behind him and he turns to the boy, smiling under his beard.

“Well done there, young one!” He praises, and Link smiles softly in return.

“Now, then…” Rhoam continues before Link can say anything, “The time has come to show you who I truly am.”

He closes his eyes and like a waterfall, he changes, clothes twisting back to their former glory- he hasn’t looked like this for a century.

He opens his eyes to Link’s shocked look, growing solemn as he continues, “I was King Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule.”

“I was…” he pauses, feeling far more emotional than he thought he would, “The last leader of Hyrule.”

Link’s eyes are wide, wider than he’s ever seen, but he nods, gently, giving Rhoam the strength to continue.

“A kingdom which no longer exists.”

Memories flood into his mind then, of guardians flooding the land, destroying everything in their path, and it’s hard for him to continue.

“The Great Calamity was merciless…” he tries, voice soft, “It devastated everything in its path, lo, a century ago.”

He remembers the feeling of the Guardian’s blast on his back, how he fell into forever. For the first time in one hundred years, he realizes he does not know how he died.

“It was then that my life was taken away from me,” he tells the boy, whose bright blue eyes are awash with sadness, mourning, his hands gripping the front of his doublet like a lifeline.

“And since that time, here I have remained, in spirit form.”

A light turns on in Link’s eyes, and he catches soft words, “That’s how you were everywhere...”

Rhoam’s lips quirk up, “I did not think it wise to overwhelm you while your memory was still fragile.”

"So rather than that, I thought it best to assume a temporary form," he bows his head, "Forgive me."

Link nods, and Rhoam feels a rush of forgiveness from the boy when Link smiles.

"I think you are now ready," Rhoam says, and Link grows serious, "Ready to hear what happened 100 years ago."

*****

Link’s head is spinning. Calamity? Princess? A daughter? A knight?

He _died?_

Link blinks several times, one hand reaching up to trace the scar across his face- the only one that isn’t from a bokoblin or his own stupidity-

The weight of the world is upon him now, and all he can do is stand still for a moment, desperately trying to process everything the Old Man just told him.

Link blinks out of the whirlwind in his head when Rhoam- King Rhoam- shifts in front of him.

When he looks up, he meets proud green eyes, and suddenly everything seems much more manageable. His mind begins to clear, and he takes a deep breath.

“Go on...” Something materializes in the King’s hands, and he passes it to Link, “Here is the paraglider, just as I promised.”

Link is afraid it'll pass straight through his scar-ridden hands, but it’s solid, made of light wood and a strong cloth like the stuff in the doublet he’s wearing.

“With that,” Rhoam taps a not-so-solid finger on the cloth of the paraglider, “You should be able to safely fly off the cliffs surrounding this area.”

Link perks up at that, and his gaze wanders out the broken window to stare at the Dueling Peaks. Suddenly they don’t seem so far away.

“And... I think that’s it,” The King tells him, and when Link meets his gaze again, there’s a sad smile in his eyes, “I’ve told you everything I can...”

Link’s heart clenches at the look on his face- fond, broken- and he knows that this is their final goodbye.

”Link, my friend...” Rhoam is beginning to disappear, his tears dripping softly, flitting out of existence before they can hit the ground, “You must save...Hyrule...”

And with that, he’s gone, leaving Link atop the temple, blinking back tears.

Link hates being alone. He isn’t exactly sure what it is exactly- he just really, really doesn’t like how being alone feels, and now-

He hurriedly wipes his eyes on his sleeve, catching the faint scent of the Old Man’s cabin still lingering on the fabric.

Link gets the feeling that he’s going to miss the Old Man for a very long time.

He hides his face away in his sleeve, taking deep breaths until he’s sure he won’t cry when he looks up, and shakes his head to clear his thoughts.

Then he looks down, gripping the paraglider to be sure that it is actually as solid as it feels, and turns it over several times to find where he needs to grip.

He finds it quickly enough, and a sudden thrill sweeps through his lungs at the idea of actually being able to _fly-_

A flock of birds rushes past the window then, as if they know, and he breathes a laugh. The joy in his heart at the thought of flying takes hold of him, and he climbs quickly down the temple.

As soon as his feet touch the ground, he runs, through the fields, past the bokoblins, then suddenly, there it is, the wall is in sight, and Link runs- sprinting as fast as his legs will carry him to the edge of the plateau- right to the very boundary of his world-

He leaps off the wall with a shout of excitement, and after a moment of falling- air rushing past him as his hair flies by his ears-

The paraglider catches him with a snap and he drifts in the air, slowly falling to the earth below.

For a moment, he feels nothing. No boundaries, no expectations. No endless loneliness.

For a moment, the only thing he felt, heard, smelled- was the wind rushing past his ears and the boundless freedom of a new life.

Link lands gently, with both feet planted firmly in the foundation of a new beginning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooooo I have to confess...  
> This isn't actually the final version of this chapter.  
> I mean, it _is,_ but this isn't how it's going to stay, (probably), and I'd really love your input!  
> If you have a weird experience that you remember from your first time on the Great Plateau, or you want to see werewolf Link react to meeting a korok or a talus or a bokoblin for the first time, feel free to drop a comment with a request and I'll do my best to write a scene for you!  
> These requests can happen at any point in the fic, even if we're just one chapter away from fighting Ganon, so don't be shy if there's something you want to see!
> 
> Thanks for reading what I have to say! :D I hope you have a wonderful day, and I'll see you in the next one! <3


	4. Something about the Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Thank you, friend!" He points a thumb over his shoulder, "Hows about we head back and get my easel?"  
> The wolf falls into step beside him as they make their descent into the village.  
> "I'm Pikango, by the way," he tells the wolf, "I'm gonna call you 'Buddy.' Sound good?"  
> The wolf wags its tail at him, and he chooses to take that as a yes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sometimes writing is being stuck for an entire month on how to start a dang chapter and then suddenly writing the whole thing in _three days_ so here we are sorry to make you guys wait!!  
> I know i'm not consistent with capitalization at all and i'm sorry if it bothers you i'm just too lazy to fix it in editing
> 
> I hope you are staying safe :)
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

Link can’t explain how his memory works.

There are some things he can glance at and he remembers. Things like trees and rocks and plants. Hylian herbs. Apples, raw and baked. Acorns. All he needed was to pick it up, maybe smell or lick it and boom. Remembered.

Bokoblins took a little while, but now he remembers the difference between red and blue and white and what a keese is and what he can use all the dropped parts for. He remembers weapons, and so do his muscles. The knowledge of fighting came back as easily as breathing.

He knows the difference between water and rock, and how to climb, and through trial and error found that he can’t climb in the rain, and that he can’t make food with monster parts, only elixirs, which proved to be helpful in their own way.

Somehow, he remembers how to cook. He remembers recipes and different kinds of meat and plants and mushrooms, and what to do with all of them.

According to Rhoam, he is a werewolf. His instincts and senses tell him this is true.

What he _can’t_ remember though, for whatever reason, are the more important things. 

Like what he’s doing here.

That was one of the first things Rhoam asked him, but the answer didn’t come as immediately as, _“that thing is a bokoblin and you’re going to die,”_ and in fact it didn’t come at all, leaving him to his wanderings around the plateau and into all sorts of places like the snowy cliffs and Rhoam's cabin.

Back when he visited said cabin, he picked up the book on his table to admire the symbols drawn on it, and his heart stopped when he realized those were _words,_ and he _couldn’t read them._ That broke him far more than not knowing how he got to the plateau. He cried, probably far too long when he found he couldn’t read, because of some broken part of himself that told him _“reading is important, you can’t live without the pursuit of knowledge, or without a library at your fingertips.”_

The voice in his head never told him why he couldn’t remember anything either. In fact, she, (he’s assuming the voice is a she. He can’t explain it, it just feels right to call it a she), seems perfectly content to leave him alone to figure all of this out on his own.

Which, in some situations, is rather nice, but in other situations is _not nice at all._

Luckily this time figuring it out himself did not include having giant rocks thrown at him, instead just tiny sticks and berries.

The first time he met a Korok was a startling experience.

He caught the scent of something a little off with one of the rocks, and when he moved it a _tree_ appeared, three feet tall and kind of terrifying, with its mask and stubby little arms and weirdly _alive_ scent, too much animal and plant all mushed together-

It was friendly. Its name was Lief.

Now that he's off the plateau and up in a tree because he caught the scent of another korok.

This one was _not happy_ about Link finding it before the one across the valley and started whacking him with their sticks until he was laughing and stumbling out of the tree.

Having berries tossed at the back of his head is not the worst attack he's ever experienced, and it surely won't be the last.

But for now, he laughs, long and bright as the sun dips low in the sky, and for the moment, he is content to walk on his own to legs, stopping only to tug off his boots and roll up his pants. He pulls off his doublet so only the white undershirt is left, and he puts everything else away.

The sky dips into twilight, colors twisting from bright blue to orange and red and yellow and then to a deep purple with a splattering of stars and no moon.

Which, he stops in his tracks and takes a deep breath of night air, is strange. He's seen the moon before, back on the plateau, big and bright and ever present, but tonight he can sense it but not _see_ it.

An arrow goes flying past his head, and Link whips his head around, fingers already at his sword, and he spots a handful of bokoblins, shouting and swinging their weapons above their heads.

A grin breaks across his face. The bokoblins advance, and another arrow flies past him.

*****

Link is still walking, hours after the bokoblin attack, and he feels he's made good progress.

He remembers Lizalfos, and got a face full of tongue when he encountered one for the first time.

He cut it off.

It was gross, blood was everywhere and he had to change back into the annoying ratty shirt, so he's probably never going to do that again.

His feet are still bare, and he kicks up the sand around him, adoring the strange feeling of the river rushing past his toes and sand being pulled along with it.

His fingers brush the top of a white flower growing out of a rock on the bank, and in a burst of petals it disappears, then reappears halfway across the river.

He follows it with the cryonis rune, jumping across the ice pillars and past splashing fishes to each flower until he's across and at the base of an orange tower.

How he missed the obvious bright orange thing towering above the earth is beyond him.

The korok's name is Taro, and korok seeds still have an interesting smell.

The Korok waves goodbye and Link waves back before finding handholds on the tower and boosting himself up.

This is a lot easier than scaling cliffs, and he makes it to the top in no time at all.

He heaves himself onto the platform and rolls onto his back for a minute to catch his breath.

The stars from here are _beautiful._ There are millions of them, galaxies in clouds of stardust and reaching towards forever-

The moon is coming. Slowly. He can feel it- it'll be here soon.

He rolls over and pushes himself to his feet, padding over to the guidance stone and placing the slate on the pedestal. It twists around, just like the ones in the shrines, and he swears he can hear music flooding through every bone in his body as the tower lights beneath him. In a flash, the floor is lit, and a drop of information fills the slate.

When he takes it again the map fills itself, just a little bit, but it's more than what he had and for that he's grateful.

He thanks the guidance stone out loud, just a gentle "thank you" before he moves to the travel gate, tapping it with his bare toes. He thanks the tower as well, puts the slate away, and leaps off, whipping out his paraglider to float across the river.

He lands on bare feet and sprints away from lizalfos with a bright laugh, kicking up sand and rocks as he rushes through the Dueling Peaks-

_Link..._

-then stops dead in his tracks.

_Link... be on your guard..._

The moon is here.

He whips around, eyes rising to meet it.

_Ganon's power grows...it rises to its peak under the hour of the blood moon._

The sky is soaked in blood, malice floats in whirlwinds with the clouds, the moon feels _alive_ as it climbs ever higher.

_By its glow, the aimless spirits of monsters slain the name of the light return to flesh._

A sudden fear grips his lungs and he can't _breathe_ something is wrong, something is very, very wrong-

_Link..._

_Please be careful._

Pain shoots through every part of his body and he _screams_

then he wakes up.

For a moment, all he can do is lay there, trembling in the light of dawn, and it's too much on his eyes so he keeps them closed. He lays there for a minute or maybe an hour, but eventually he pushes himself onto trembling paws.

He's a mess of black and white fur, with three triangles in a pattern on his left paw-

Link is a wolf.

What _happened?_

 _What did the moon_ do _to him?_

Everything hurts-but it isn't a constant pain- more of a memory- a soft throbbing when he moves. Some foreign part of him tells him that food may help- if he can find it.

So, he hones in on his senses, the world goes black and white, and he follows the scent through the Dueling Peaks.

*****

Perhaps it's too early in the morning to be painting- all the colors are about the same in the morning light of the valley- but that isn't going to stop him. It took him forever to find the village, he's already set up and easel and chosen his paints, there's no going back now.

Pikango carefully brings his brush up, up, up, finishing the shading on this side of the house. The lighting is weird and he hasn't really worked with so many shades of brown before, but he thinks he's doing alright.

His eyes flick up, down, between the grand building before him to his canvas, and in the corner of his vision something moves.

When he turns to look, his eyes meet the blue eyes of a black and white wolf, and he freezes.

It's big. Big and black with white markings on its face and what looks like a scar above its right eye all the way down to under its left.

Then his artist brain kicks in and he notices the subtle gray bits between the black and white and the three triangles on its left paw like the triforce, how the blue of its eyes is somewhere between the deep ocean and midday sky and he thinks he might like to paint them.

They consider each other silently, and after a moment the wolf breaks his gaze and looks up at the easel.

Pikango lets out a breath and smiles. This one's friendly. He can tell.

"You likin' it so far?" he asks, leaning over to mix together another brown, and the wolf steps closer, peering curiously at the paints, "I've been working on it for a while now."

The wolf looks up at him, eyes big and blue, and he thinks maybe he's seen eyes like this before.

"This town's got some great spots for painting," he says, looking between his canvas and the building again, "I think when I'm done with this one I'll paint the scene behind us."

The wolf looks back, and so does Pikango.

"Isn't it great?" He asks with a smile, watching lily pads bob gently in the water and the gentle slope of light in the flowers at the base of the goddess statue- he may ask a local to remove the bib, but part of him also likes it a lot, the red's a great contrast to all the green and gray but he doesn't know if he wants it to be a focal point...

The wolf smiles at him in the adorable way dogs do, and Pikango smiles and reaches out to pet between its ears.

He talks to the wolf for a while longer as he paints, about the places he's been and other paintings he's done, and around them the village begins to wake up. Shop owners put out signs, village children run together, guards change shifts and he can hear pleasant chatter drifting through the morning air-

Nobody seems particularly wary of the wolf sitting at his side as the sun climbs over the valley.

"I'm going to tell you a secret," He says, and the wolf flicks its ears, "Promise not to tell, yeah?"

Then the wolf nods, and Pikango wonders if it's actually a human in disguise.

He glances quickly around, voice dropping to a whisper, "I've heard there's a fairy fountain around here."

The wolf perks up at that and gets to its feet again.

"Hm?" a grin breaks out across his face, "Ooooh, you know something, don't you?"

Tail wagging and blue eyes bright, the wolf starts off towards the hill with the shrine.

It's a hike, but they make it to the top. The wolf waits for him patiently as he catches his breath, then they start off together into the forest.

The wolf guides him to what looks like a giant, wilting flower, and he follows the wolf right up to it.

"Oh yeah, this thing," Pikango brushes his fingers lightly over it, it really does feel like a plant, "I've seen this thing before."

The wolf sniffs at it, and Pikango steps back, lifting his hands to see if he can envision it on a canvas.

"Hmmmm..."

The wolf looks back at him with those eyes again.

"I've got an idea," He says, adjusting his hands, "Sadness, pain, longing, it's all there. This'll make a nice painting."

The wolf wags its tail, delighted.

"Thank you, friend!" He points a thumb over his shoulder, "Hows about we head back and get my easel?"

The wolf falls into step beside him as they make their descent into the village.

"I'm Pikango, by the way," he tells the wolf, "I'm gonna call you 'Buddy.' Sound good?"

The wolf wags its tail at him, and he chooses to take that as a yes.

*****

Paya leans over the statues, wringing out her cloth in the bucket she brought and reaching over to clean the statue.

"Miss Paya," Cado calls gently, and when she looks up she's met by a calm face and excited eyes, "Did you hear about our visitor this morning?"

She tilts her head and moves her hand across the statue, "The painter?"

She looks up to his gentle smile, "Not quite, Miss. Do you remember the stories about the hero?"

Of course she does. Paya turns back to the statues, carefully bringing her cloth over the red marking on the belly of the statue and then to its eyes, then dipping it into the offering plate.

She's been hearing his stories her entire life- about him and his pack and their unfortunate fate- about how he was taken to the shrine of resurrection and the whispers about his return-

She dips the towel into the bucket and looks up at him.

"Which ones?" her eyes flick up to him as she wrings out the towels.

"The werewolf ones," he answers, "Surely you've heard the rumors of his return?"

She almost answers, but something moves in the corner of her eye, and when she turns it's the painter, laughing brightly, and a wolf at his side.

"There he is, Miss."

Then Cado straightens back to his post, and that's the end of the conversation.

Paya watches them, the man and the wolf, as they make their way to the painter's easel, smiling all the way-

Then the wolf meets her eyes, big and blue and not completely animal.

The hero in all the stories is suddenly right there in front of her and breathless, she whispers, "Master Link."

*****

Link catches her whisper and perks up.

The girl is not familiar in any way, so how she seems to know his name is strange.

Well. His human name. Something feels wrong about calling himself Link in this form.

"Alright bud, I'm going to head back up there," Pikango says, and when Link looks up he's smiling, "Are you coming with me?"

Link shakes his head, and Pikango gives him a gentle pat.

"I'll see you around then," says the painter, waving over his shoulder as he walks away, "Adios, Buddy!"

"Buddy" does not feel like the correct name either. When he looks up there's the girl again, walking towards him, and he wags his tail in greeting.

"Hello," She says, bending at the waist in a short bow, "My name is Paya."

He tilts his head but bows in return, and when he straightens again she's giggling behind her hand.

"Is your name really 'Buddy'?" She asks, and he shakes his head.

"I thought not."

He watches her for a moment, her brown eyes storming with questions.

Then, softly,

"Are you...Link?"

The name still does not feel right, but how would Paya know that? They've only just met after all.

So he nods, and she lets out a breath.

"I think..." she wrings her fingers together, "I think my grandmother has been waiting for you."

Link tilts his head.

"Will you...will you come with me? To see her?"

He sees the uncertainty swirling through the brown in her eyes, and he nods, hoping to help her relax.

And she does, just a little bit. Her shoulders fall, and a small smile comes to her face.

"This way then. Follow me."

He follows her to the building Pikango was just painting, past the guards and up all of the steps.

Paya reaches past him to open the doors, and he looks back at the village, smiling to himself at the cute kids running around, and the morning sunlight in the village-

"Master Link?"

He looks up, and she smiles.

"This way," She gestures inside.

He steps in, and immediately catches a familiar scent.

He hones in on his senses on instinct, and the world goes black and white. The only color is her scent, a dark red that twists around the room and climbs up a pile of pillows to a tiny woman with a giant hat-

He _knows_ her.

Or at least, he knew her once, a long time ago.

"...So you're finally awake."

He snaps out of his senses, and the world floods with color again as she tilts her head up.

Her eyes are small but filled to the brim with intelligence, and she's so familiar, _what is her name?_

"It has been quite a long time...Link."

The intelligence in her eyes twists into something fond and familiar.

"I am much older now, but..." her smile is so warm it makes him want to _cry,_ "you remember me, don't you?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay so the link/rinku thing is going to make a return next chapter and i was wondering if that was confusing to anyone? If it is, basically Link calls himself "Link" in human form and asks to be called "Rinku" in wolf form  
> it's also i can just say "link" and "rinku" so u know what form he's in without me having to describe him XD
> 
> Also quick question uhm  
> What Divine Beast do you guys want me to do first? I'll be covering them all eventually of course but like do you want me to get right into the chaos that is Link and Sidon's friendship or should I wait for others to get done first?  
> I mean i can pick of course (i'll probably just do ruta honestly i've got a couple of link and sidon moments) but I figured I should ask! You guys are great!!
> 
> Stay safe! I love you! <3


	5. In which Link meets a Horse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Her brown eyes aren't full of fear, like the other horses. In fact, she looks more bored than anything.  
> "Uhm," Rinku says as non-threateningly as he can, "Hi."  
> "Hello," She answers between bites, completely uninterested in the talking wolf, apparently.  
> "I'm Rinku," he tells her. Should he leave? She doesn't seem to be interested in talking.  
> She nods at him, "Good for you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i spent  
> TWO MONTHS  
> writing impa's cutscene and trying to make it work  
> but then  
> i hated it  
> so  
> i got rid of it
> 
> and now i'm dead inside but yeah anyway enjoy the chapter love you all <3  
> (also animal crossing came out and i'm working on getting my island to look like kakariko village and lemme tell you that hasn't been easy my dudes)

Link takes off like a shot across the room, and Paya yelps behind him.

"M-Master Link!"

He almost jumps straight into her but manages to catch himself at the base of her pillows and boosts himself onto his hind legs, paws pressed into the pillows, and she laughs brightly.

"My, my," she reaches down to stroke his ears, "You've certainly changed, Rinku dear."

He snaps to attention.

That's it.

That's the name.

The name floods his mind, repeating over and over again, until the woman's voice twists into someone else's, masculine and so, so familia-

_"You wanna be called Rinku?"_

_A crooked grin, dirty blond hair, wild hazel eyes-_

_"Sounds good, buddy boy. I'll let Jol know, alright?"_

Her voice pulls him out of his head, her brown eyes worried as she gently runs her fingers through his fur.

"What is the matter?"

He shakes himself out of it and meets her eyes again.

"You are looking at me as though I am a stranger to you." She peers into his eyes, "Those eyes...they lack the light of familiarity."

Then she smiles, cradling his face in both of her hands.

"It is I, courageous one," She tells him softly, "Impa."

Then, with a smile and a slight tilt of her head, "Surely you must at least remember the name Impa?"

He does.

He may not remember much, but her name matches her face and her scent is familiar, and for now that's enough.

He has no way of telling her this though- so he looks straight into her small, familiar eyes, and shakes his head.

"I see..." She says sadly, running her thumbs across his fur, "So you have lost your memory."

To that, he nods.

"Well," She gives his cheek a pat, "It matters not. In fact, that may actually be a blessing in disguise for the time being."

He tilts his head at her.

"Dearest Rinku," she says softly, petting his ears, "Get down from my pillows before you knock me over."

Rinku jumps back down to all fours and sits obediently at the base of her pile, looking up.

"Good boy," Impa says to him, brushing herself off. She looks down, her face once again with a smile.

Then her eyes turn sad, "A hundred years ago..."

She trails off, studying his face. He hones into his senses, studying her scent- uncertainty, sadness, he flicks his ears and tilts his head at her.

Then she continues.

"Yes...a hundred years ago, the kingdom of Hyrule was destroyed."

Rinku flinches.

"After you fell, Princess Zelda's final wish was to place you in a sacred slumber."

Rhoam told him this story- it hasn't become any easier to hear.

"And then...all alone... Alone she went to face Ganon."

Something fiercely protective swallows Rinku's heart then.

Zelda.

Whenever her name is said, golden hair and brilliant green eyes flash through his mind, as well as a laugh that sounds a little bit like sunshine.

He doesn't remember her-only that he might have loved her, one day, long ago.

"Before Princess Zelda went to nobly meet her fate...she entrusted me with some words she wished to say to you."

Impa opens her eyes again, and Rinku's gaze rises to meet them. She looks serious now, and Rinku flicks his ears, ready to hold on to whatever those words happen to be.

"I have been waiting one hundred years to deliver the princess's message," She continues, and Rinku leans close.

"However!"

The sudden shout makes him flinch back.

"These words, which the princess risked her life to leave you... Well, if you are to hear them..."

She seems to see how much she startled him, and she settles back on her pillows before continuing again.

"You must be prepared to risk your life as well."

He droops a little at that. Paya appears next to him and reaches down to pet him.

Impa is not finished.

"But I am afraid that burden may be too much to bear while you are still without your memories."

That is...a fair point. Rinku leans into Paya's hand, feeling a little frustrated.

"I leave the choice to you," She says, a finality in her tone that makes him feel as though he's unable to argue, "When you feel you are ready to receive the princess's message, return to me."

And then she settles back on her pillows, and Rinku doesn't know what to do.

He wants her to tell him. Right now. So he knows how to help.

Rinku stands, steps forward, and jumps onto her pillows again.

He stares straight into her eyes, and she blinks back.

"The words the princess risked her life to impart to you...I cannot pass them on to someone who lacks conviction," she says slowly, "Are you prepared to risk your life for the greater good?"

He nods.

A large smile breaks across her face, and she ruffles the fur between his ears.

"Ha!" she laughs, and he brightens, "Not a memory to your name, yet you are as intent as ever to charge forward with only courage and justice on your side."

His tail begins to wag, and once again she cradles his face in her hands.

"You have not changed a bit. Once a hero, always a hero."

He flicks his ears, delighted, and her smile grows soft.

"Very well."

She pets his ears and he jumps down to all fours again, "Since you have lost your memory, I will recount for you all that has happened..."

He looks up when Paya runs her fingers through his fur again, and together they sit.

"The history of the royal family of Hyrule is also the history of Calamity Ganon," She begins, "A primal evil that has endured over the ages."

"This evil has been turned back time and time again by a warrior wielding the soul of a hero," she gives a pointed look to Rinku, "And a princess who carries the blood of the Goddess."

Paya leans to whisper in his ear, "That's Zelda."

He nods, and Impa gives a sharp look. They fall silent again.

"With the passage of time, each conflict with Ganon faded into legend," She waves a hand through the air, "So listen closely as I tell you of this "legend" that occurred 10,000 years ago."

Rinku and Paya lean in, and Impa smiles before she continues.

"Hyrule was then blossoming as a highly advanced civilization. Even the most powerful monsters posed little threat to the denizens of the realm."

"So," She tilts her head, "The people thought it wise to utilize their technological prowess to ensure the safety of the land, should Calamity Ganon ever return."

Paya leans over to whisper again, "The next part is my favorite."

Impa silences her again with a look, and Paya obediently shuts her mouth.

"They constructed four mechanical wonders that came to be known as the Divine Beasts," Impa continues, "And they also built a legion of autonomous weapons called Guardians."

Rinku has no idea what "autonomous" means, but Impa doesn't stop.

"The Divine Beasts were piloted by four individuals of exceptional skill from across the land, and thus, the plan to neutralize Ganon was forged."

Rhoam told him about Ganon, the Divine Beasts, the Guardians, but now he has more history, before they were put in the ground.

"Upon Ganon's inevitable return to Hyrule, the princess and the hero fought alongside these four Champions against this ancient evil," Impa gestures to the tapestry behind her, "The Guardians were tasked with protecting the hero as the Divine Beasts unleashed a furious attack upon their terrible foe."

She beckons for them to come close, and both move to her pillows and look at the drawings of the tapestry.

Impa points to a boy in blue, "And when the hero wielding the sword that seals the darkness delivered his final blow..."

Then she points to a girl in white, "The princess used her sacred power to seal away Calamity Ganon."

Then she sits back on her pillows again as Paya runs her fingers over the tapestry, "A hundred years ago...in preparation for the foretold revival of Ganon, we strove to follow the lead of our ancestors of 10,000 years prior."

Rinku looks back at her, as her face turns sad.

"But..." She sighs, "In the end..."

"Despite our efforts and careful planning, we underestimated his power."

She looks at him then, reaching out to pet between his ears, "In order to avoid ever making that grave mistake again, the princess left you these words..."

Rinku flicks his ears and nods.

"Free the four Divine Beasts. That is what she said."

Rinku tilts his head. Free them how exactly?

She must see the question behind his eyes, so she explains.

"The four Divine Beasts are the ancient Sheikah weapons wielded by the four Champions who Ganon defeated."

She counts off on her fingers, "The Divine Beast Vah Rudania, controlled by Daruk of the Gorons. The Divine Beast Vah Medoh, controlled by Revali of the Rito. The Divine Beast Vah Ruta, controlled by Mipha of the Zora. And the Divine Beast Vah Naboris, controlled by Urbosa of the Gerudo."

That's...a lot of names. Is he supposed to remember all of them?

"It would be extremely ill-advised to face Ganon without the power of the Divine Beasts to help you..." she pets him again, almost absently before looking him straight in the eyes, "You must infiltrate the Divine Beasts that were stolen away by Ganon 100 years ago and bring them back to our side."

He nods, slowly, again, no idea how to do that.

"More information about these Divine Beasts can be found by locating the four races scattered across Hyrule."

"The Sheikah Slate will guide you on your way," she tells him, "You must go where it tells you and meet with each leader there."

She squints at him, "Assuming you have the Sheikah Slate, and I hope you do. Princess Zelda herself left you with that device. It is your guide as well as your memory."

He shrinks a little under her stare.

"I'm only teasing," She tells him, "But I do hope you still have it. Someone at the research lab in Hateno Village might be able to help you..."

He perks up. Hateno Village?

"It is a small village... destroyed and rebuilt during the Great Calamity. Many travel through but hardly any stay nowadays."

She pats his head and takes back her hand, "Travel east- you will run into it eventually. Go to the ancient tech lab on the hill, and there you will find who it is I think can help you."

He nods. Her smile makes creases under her eyes.

She cradles his face in her hands again, and says very softly, "You are Princess Zelda's only hope...and Hyrule's as well..."

"You cannot turn back now," Impa tells him, "Follow your heart and seize your destiny!"

Rinku nods yet again, and Impa releases him.

"Now get off my pillows before you knock me over."

*****

Pikango looks up from his painting just in time to see the wolf and the girl come walking down the stairs. Great timing, he's almost done with his painting! Maybe Buddy can help him find more things to paint.

They're at the bottom of the stairs now- she's giving the wolf a hug, that's something you don't see every day- and before he can debate whether or not now is a good time, he lifts his hand in a wave above his head.

"Hey, Bud!" He calls, and the wolf perks up, bounding over to him as if they're old friends and hadn't just met an hour ago. He laughs when the thing nuzzles his legs and he scratches between its ears.

The girl is standing straight now and looking a little uncomfortable, glancing between him and his canvas and looking on with hesitant gray-brown eyes, a pretty color he might try to add to the house he's painting.

Pikango gives this nervous girl his warmest smile and pets the wolf with his other hand, and in his best, least-scary voice calls "Hi there!"

The girl seems to relax, if the smile tugging at her mouth is any indication, and she makes her way to the canvas.

A short, polite nod from her, and a soft, "Hello, sir."

Pikango pulls his hand from the wolf's fur and offers it to her, "Nice to meet you! My name is Pikango. I am but a humble artist, travelling the world for beautiful places to paint."

Her smile is warm and genuine and she shakes his hand, "I'm Paya. It's lovely to meet you."

"Likewise," Pikango nods. He puts his hands on his hips and looks at the wolf between them, "So...is this guy yours? I've been calling him Buddy, but if that isn't his name-"

"Oh! No, not at all," Paya interrupts politely, waving a hand, "No, this is Rinku. He's a friend, he doesn't belong to anyone."

"Rinku..." He repeats, smiling down at the thing. The wolf looks between them with those bright blue eyes, "A good name. I might keep calling him Buddy, though. If he doesn't mind."

The wolf shakes its head.

Pikango looks up at Paya, points down at Rinku and asks, "Werewolf?"

She nods.

"Oh!" Pikango beams down at Rinku again, "I've probably met some of your relatives then! In Hateno Village?"

Rinku tilts his head.

"I'm actually heading that way soon," He nods to himself, "Though I might paint the fairy fountain first. Hmm...I can point you in the right direction, I guess. Sound good?"

Rinku nods brightly.

"Alrighty then!" Pikango adjusts the straps of his backpack, "This way. Follow me."

*****

In the fields outside the Dueling Peaks stable are clusters of horses, each one different and strange, with differing scents even if only slightly.

This is where Rinku finds himself three nights after his parting with Pikango, the moon high in the sky as he sinks low in the grass to watch three horses in the ruins.

He remembers he had a horse once. The memory came last time he passed through here, on his way to the village. Elroy was his horse's name- a dear friend. They treated each other as kindly as they were able- and he remembers Pat, another horse, owned by a large man in his memories. Pat didn't talk much, and preferred to ignore him, but he still treated her as kindly as he could.

Now both are gone.

Rinku flicks his ears. The horses haven't noticed him, both a blessing and a curse. What will they do when he gets close?

Well, he isn't going to find out by waiting right here.

He slips as silently as he can over the grass, footfalls, (pawfalls?), near silent as he pads along the grass.

Eventually, he lifts his head, to see if the horses will react.

And they do.

They run.

Two of three turn tail and take off for the hills behind guardian remains, but one stays, her coat an even shade of pink, (except for the white on her legs that look like socks), and her mane is a yellowish gold.

Rinku continues his advance and comes face to face with her, noticing the white up her snout.

Her brown eyes aren't full of fear, like the other horses. In fact, she looks more bored than anything.

 _"Uhm,"_ Rinku says as non-threateningly as he can, _"Hi."_

 _"Hello,"_ She answers between bites, completely uninterested in the talking wolf, apparently.

 _"I'm Rinku,"_ he tells her. Should he leave? She doesn't seem to be interested in talking.

She nods at him, _"Good for you."_

Then she turns and starts off, and after a moment, Rinku follows her.

 _"Are you from around here?"_ he asks, walking fast to match her longer strides.

_"Lived here my whole life."_

_"Yeah?"_

_"Yep."_

Rinku doesn't say anything after that, and they stop at a puddle. She hums at it, then turns again and starts off.

He watches her go for a long moment, wondering if he should follow. Her tail flicks as she disappears behind one of the dead guardians.

Rinku bounds after her, paws splashing in puddles as he turns jumps around the guardian, and skids to a stop before he can ram into her legs.

She looks back at him.

 _"Well, hello again,"_ She says as he finds his footing, _"You're back."_

Rinku shakes himself out and pads around her until they're side by side.

She straightens, _"If you're still here it means you need something."_

Rinku tilts his head, _"Kind of?"_

Then she's moving again, _"Out with it then."_

 _"Oh,"_ he hurries to match her pace, _"I was hoping you'd travel with me."_

 _"With a wolf?"_ She looks at him, _"Why would I do that?"_

That's a fair point.

_"I'll get apples for you?"_

_"Deal."_

Wait, what?

_"That's all you want?"_

_"They better be the best apples you've ever picked,"_ She warns, _"No worms, no bird holes, just delicious."_

Rinku nods, _"I promise."_

 _"Then, now that that's settled,"_ She tosses her head so her mane falls a little differently, _"You said your name was Coo?"_

 _"Rinku,"_ He corrects, _"And what's your name?"_

 _"Don't have one,"_ She answers without missing a beat, _"Where are we going?"_

_"Can I give you a name?"_

She stops and looks down at him again.

Brown eyes watch him for a moment, and he wonders if this is the part where she runs away.

 _"If you must,"_ She says eventually, and moves to lay in the grass.

He looks at her for a long while, studying her coat and her eyes, (before she closes them, at least).

After a while, he decides on, _"Xenora."_

She lifts her head.

_"What?"_

_"Do you like it?"_ he tilts his head, _"If you don't I can think of something else."_

She narrows her eyes at him.

 _"I mean, it's fine, but why_ Xenora?"

If he could shrug, he would. He flicks his ears instead.

 _"I think it's pretty,"_ He answers, _"You're pretty too. They match."_

She watches him for a long moment, then lays down again, _"Xenora it is."_

He perks up, tail wagging.

 _"So, little wolf,"_ She asks again, _"Where are we going?"_

For that, Rinku doesn't have an answer. He thinks about it, wonders if she even knows what a werewolf is, then decides he should probably just ask.

_"Do you know what a werewolf is?"_

_"I know three."_

He perks up.

_"Now you know four."_

_"Three,"_ She corrects, _"Most of the wolves I've met are 'eat now, talk later' kinda guys."_

 _"Three then,"_ Rinku agrees, _"I'll come back for you after the next Blood Moon, when I'm human again. Will you wait for me?"_

 _"Well, if I'm not here then I'm probably dead,"_ She answers, _"But sure, I'll wait for you."_

Rinku can't stop his tail from wagging, and if he could smile, he would.

_"Thank you, Xenora."_

*****

It takes five days to make it to the outskirts of what he's assuming is Hateno Village.

It probably shouldn't have taken so long, but he can't help it! There were so many things to explore- flowers to smell, birds to chase, life to live- there was that run in with the forest spirits- the little blue rabbit and the Korok named Hestu. Getting the maracas back was easier said than done, but even though he came out bruised and bloody, he got the maracas and Hestu happily danced away.

He's gotten really good at understanding his wolf form. A lot of it is muscle memory, jumping at things, somehow knowing exactly where to bite to kill things he doesn't remember even existed.

Speaking of which, there are bokoblins. He can smell them, and his ears flick when someone screams.

He scans the trees, and...there!

With a growl, he leaps through the trees and onto a bokoblin's back.

It's a quick fight- one blue and two red ones- within minutes they're all puffs of purple smoke.

And by the looks of it, the girls are fine.

"Oh, hey another werewolf!"

In fact, they don't even seem to care that they nearly died. One is standing straight and beaming at him, the other is bent over a tree and looks absolutely done with everything.

"Hey," calls the standing one, much softer now and squatting to his eye level, "We don't bite. You can smell the werewolf on us, right?"

He nods, and her smile grows.

"I'm Nat," She tells him, then nods back at the other woman, "That's my sister, Meghyn. We're on the hunt for hearty truffles!"

Nat looks absolutely delighted as he pads towards her.

"That's it...see? Totally friendly!" Nat lets him sniff her hand before she pets him, "So tell us, Mr Wolf, what's your name? Do you have any relatives in Hateno?"

Rinku shakes his head.

"Really?" Her face scrunches in confusion. She cups his face in her hands and studies his eyes, "I coulda sworn I've seen that shade of blue before."

She turns to Meghyn then, "Meg, haven't we seen this blue?"

Meghyn glares at her sister, then studies Rinku for a moment, then goes back to searching for truffles.

Nat huffs at her, before Meghyn answers absently, "Doesn't that kid Victor have eyes like that?"

"Victor! That's right!" Nat agrees, "The crazy new moon boy!"

She focuses her eyes on Rinku again, "Steer clear of Victor on new moons, friend. He could rip your arm off with his teeth and eat it before you can blink."

They are...completely unconcerned about almost dying. That must happen a lot, if they can get by without even blinking. And who's Victor?

"You are _so_ pretty," Nat huffs, scrunching her face and ruffling his fur, "It's totally unfair! My coat isn't nearly as soft and pretty as yours."

He tilts his head. What does her coat look like?

"It's kind of a mottled brown with splotches of gray and _darker_ brown," She answers the unspoken question, "Totally boring. I look more like a calico cat than a wolf, if you can imagine that-"

There's rustling in the trees behind them, and both Rinku and Nat flick their ears, turning to look at the sound.

It's another wolf, a brown one with greenish brown eyes, tucked mostly behind a tree.

Nat relaxes when he emerges, and in a moment her smile is back, full force.

She pulls one hand away to wave at the wolf.

"Hi Gavyn! Whatcha doin' out here?"

The wolf- Gavyn, Rinku guesses- doesn't answer, sinking back into the trees.

Rinku watches him, even as Nat pulls away and stands, leaves crunching underfoot as she makes her way towards him.

"C'mon, Gavyn! Talk to me buddy. You here to greet the new guy? I'm sure he just got Turned like Kal did last week."

Gavyn's eyes wander, and brown meets blue when he meets Rinku's eyes.

There's something so _familiar_ about Gavyn's scent.

"Hey Nat, ya gnat," Meghyn calls, "Let Gavyn take over introductions. There aren't any truffles here."

"Sounds good Meg~!" Nat calls back. She bows to Gavyn, "Well then sir, I leave him to you."

Gavyn bows back, (Rinku doesn't know if it's just to humor her or not), and when he straightens, Nat ruffles the brown fur between his ears, bounces over to Rinku and does the same, then jogs over to Meghyn and calls out hearty goodbyes as she and her sister head out.

Then it's just Rinku and Gavyn.

 _"This way,"_ says the little wolf, in a softer voice than he'd been expecting, _"I'll show you around."_

 _"Thank you,"_ Rinku falls into step next to him.

Gavyn leads him to the gates of the city, somehow convinces the gatekeeper to let them in, and starts down the main road in the middle of town.

Rinku follows close to Gavyn and lets his gaze wander.

There are wolves _everywhere,_ sitting on benches, under trees, following humans- it's just like Pikango said, this really is the werewolf base of operations.

Gavyn leads him down a row of shops. General store, with a wolf sitting out front, a friendly look on her face. A clothing shop across the road. A Dye shop, the wolf outside splattered in various bright colors.

 _"This way,"_ Gavyn calls.

The last shop on the row isn't really a shop. It looks like a wooden hut someone tacked onto the side of the dye shop.

Gavyn easily pushes open the door with his head and Rinku joins him.

It feels bigger on the inside than it looks on the outside, but it's still small. Shelves line the edges, full of wood carvings of birds, deer, wolves, the moon, all sorts of things. There's a window above the display case by the door, with a view of the street, and opposite the door is a sort of shop counter with a tool rack hanging on the wall above it.

Behind the counter sits a man, carving a bird from a block of wood, the lines in his face and the white of his hair faintly reminding Rinku of Rhoam.

"Who's this?"

Rinku looks to the owner of the voice.

It's a teenage girl, her hair so brown it's nearly black, and her eyes are like Gavyn's, brown on the outside and green in the middle. Her hair is pulled back in a braid that goes halfway down her back, and she's wearing a purple hylian tunic. Her cloak is a midnight blue, and the hood is at her shoulders.

 _"I don't know,"_ Gavyn answers her, _"He was outside with Nat and Meghyn."_

"Gotcha," The girl answers. Rinku blinks at them. She can speak wolf in human form?

She leans on the counter next to the man that looks like Rhoam and smiles an awfully friendly smile.

"I'm Jacqueline," She says pleasantly, "I see you've met Gavyn."

She tilts her head, braid falling over one shoulder, "What brings you to our little village?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Xenora's name is pronounced "Jen-or-a" with the weird vibratey X sound instead of the J, but I'm also chill if you wanna call her "Zen-or-a" with a Z or however u want to call her she doesn't care and neither do i  
> the name doesn't really come from anywhere, that's just what I named my horse in one of my botw runs and I really loved her so here she is, and sadly no she was not pink in that playthrough I just wanted link to have a pink horse

**Author's Note:**

> feel free to chat with/ask me stuff on [My Tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/abithalyndrakonclaw) or on [My Wattpad!](https://www.wattpad.com/user/AbithaLyn)


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